The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 6 letter word SILICA
I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
S
I
L
I
C
A
More clues leading to the result SILICA
- Displaying frivolity in speech about quartz, for example
- Compound’s a mix of calcium, sulphur, lithium and iodine
- Graduate leaves large church compound
- Old Roman building from which British Academy’s removed quartz
- Sort of rook I see in a heraldic flower facing backwards
- In clay, salt is regularly crushed as a mineral
- Sounds foolish to crush Manx cat in compound
- Still, did coal oddly produce quartz?
- Leaders of Baptist association leaving church building/compound
- Quartz from Vatican church missing graduate?
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "compound" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case compound = silica.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 SILICA mean?
SILICA noun- Silicon dioxide.
- Any of the silica group of the silicate minerals.