The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 letter word BEAD
I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
B
E
A
D
More clues leading to the result BEAD
- Drop article into cot
- Drop ancient historian from audition
- Set containing a pearl
- Drop toast, essentially across floor? On the contrary
- Drop live commercial
- Venerable man said to provide this aid to prayer?
- Drop one in the garden
- Drop of moisture round bearing is not good
- Drop one in it!
- Drop area covered by graduate teacher
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Drop" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case drop = bead.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 BEAD mean?
BEAD noun- Prayer, later especially with a rosary.
- Each in a string of small balls making up the rosary or paternoster.
- A small, round object.
- (heading) A ridge, band, or molding.
- Knowledge sufficient to direct one's activities to a purpose.
- A glassy drop of molten flux, as borax or microcosmic salt, used as a solvent and color test for several mineral earths and oxides, as of iron, manganese, etc., before the blowpipe.
- Front sight of a gun.
- To form into a bead.
- To apply beads to.
- To form into a bead.
- To cause beads to form on (something).