Cryptic crossword clue
Grafting receiver, Eliot’s taken to cold castle walls 9

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word ROOTSTOCK

I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Grafting receiver" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case grafting receiver = rootstock.
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 ROOTSTOCK mean?

ROOTSTOCK noun
  1. A healthy and vigorous-rooted plant that is used in grafting, most commonly as a sound base to support a scion that bears desirable fruit in orchard culture.
  2. (by extension) The necessary basis for something to develop

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