The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word DELICATE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
D
E
L
I
C
A
T
E
More clues leading to the result DELICATE
- Frail food store pet beginning to eat
- Tricky meeting involving priest and chapter
- Exquisite iced tea drunk around end of meal
- Elegant citadel’s destroyed by end of battle
- Liable to get broken English with unusual dialect
- Discriminating place for foreign food and provision
- Exquisite lace tied in knots
- Requiring careful handling, domestic pet in food store close to garage
- Acted out a silly lie in, requiring tact and diplomacy
- Polite place to buy savouries, cold, to get consumed
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Elegant" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case elegant = delicate.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 DELICATE mean?
DELICATE noun- A delicate item of clothing, especially underwear or lingerie.
- A choice dainty; a delicacy.
- A delicate, luxurious, or effeminate person.
- Easily damaged or requiring careful handling.
- Characterized by a fine structure or thin lines.
- Intended for use with fragile items.
- Refined; gentle; scrupulous not to trespass or offend; considerate; said of manners, conduct, or feelings.
- Of weak health; easily sick; unable to endure hardship.
- Unwell, especially because of having drunk too much alcohol.
- Addicted to pleasure; luxurious; voluptuous; alluring.
- Pleasing to the senses; refined; adapted to please an elegant or cultivated taste.
- Slight and shapely; lovely; graceful.
- Light, or softly tinted; said of a colour.
- Of exacting tastes and habits; dainty; fastidious.
- Highly discriminating or perceptive; refinedly critical; sensitive; exquisite.
- Affected by slight causes; showing slight changes.