The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word TITHING
I've seen this crossword clue in The Sunday Telegraph
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More clues leading to the result TITHING
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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 TITHING mean?
TITHING verb- To give one-tenth or a tithe of something, particularly:
- To take one-tenth or a tithe of something, particularly:
- To compose the tenth part of something.
- To grant, concede.
- A tithe or tenth in its various senses, :
- Ten sheaves of wheat (originally set up as such for the tithe-proctor).
- A body of households (originally a tenth of a hundred or ten households) bound by frankpledge to collective responsibility and punishment for each other's behavior.
- A part of the hundred as a rural division of territory.
- Decimation: the killing of every tenth person or (less often) the killing of every person except each tenth.
- A reward, grant, or concession.