The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word PINTAIL
I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
P
I
N
T
A
I
L
Buddy explains!

The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does PINTAIL mean?
PINTAIL noun- A pintail duck, a type of dabbling duck with a characteristic pointed tail.
- A pin-tailed snipe, Gallinago stenura.
- The end of a fastening pin or mandrel on a Huckbolt or pop rivet that is broken off when installation is complete.
- A surfboard with a pointed back end.