The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 10 letter word CONFIDANTE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Sunday Telegraph
C
O
N
F
I
D
A
N
T
E
More clues leading to the result CONFIDANTE
- Trust her to finance new housing for daughter
- Someone to consult if upset during study on poet
- Trusted female prisoner if backed by Italian poet
- Study poem rejected by poet, trusted friend
- Female I spotted in study, poet’s lady friend
- Intimate with Italian poem about Italian poet
- Noticed fan becoming odd, someone getting close and personal?
- Study Italian poet, adopting woman as recipient of secrets
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "lady friend" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case lady friend = confidante.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 CONFIDANTE mean?
CONFIDANTE noun- A female confidant.
- A type of settee having a seat at each end at right angles to the main seats.