Cryptic crossword clue
Element having unusual name, gas describing neon 9

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word MANGANESE

I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
M
A
N
G
A
N
E
S
E


Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Element" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case element = manganese.
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 MANGANESE mean?

MANGANESE noun
  1. A metallic chemical element (symbol Mn) with an atomic number of 25, not a free element in nature but often found in minerals in combination with iron, and useful in industrial alloy production.
  2. A single atom of this element.

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