The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word DUCHESS
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
D
U
C
H
E
S
S
More clues leading to the result DUCHESS
- Noblewoman starts to develop unusual board game
- Coercion getting church to replace queen and noblewoman
- Noblewoman's daughter beginning to understand board game
- Meghan Markle’s ranking of the French musical
- Noble knight mostly on the game
- Royal bonkers used such when partly out of uniform
- Noblewoman departs upper- class game
- Title of the French game
- Aristocrat getting half of tax on game
- First half of dull game, involving king and queen and noblewoman
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "noblewoman" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case noblewoman = duchess.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 DUCHESS mean?
DUCHESS noun- The wife or widow of a duke.
- The female ruler of a duchy.
- To court or curry favour for political or business advantage; to flatter obsequiously.