The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 12 letter word SEVENTEENTHS
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
S
E
V
E
N
T
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H
S
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Fractions" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case fractions = seventeenths.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 SEVENTEENTHS mean?
SEVENTEENTHS noun- One of seventeen equal parts of a whole.
- An interval of two octaves and a third.