The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 letter word COWL
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
C
O
W
L
More clues leading to the result COWL
- Caught, bird of prey in hood
- Loose hood wife found in pass
- Hood to intimidate moll, ultimately
- Habit of Conservative Member of Parliament
- Animal with large hood
- Allegedly, media mogul’s a hood
- Monkshood, a cure for smoking?
- Farm animal left to find cover
- Wife’s consumed by depression, having Benedictine habit?
- Lower, large hood
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Habit" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case habit = cowl.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 COWL mean?
COWL noun- A monk's hood that can be pulled forward to cover the face; a robe with such a hood attached to it.
- A mask that covers the majority of the head.
- A thin protective covering over all or part of an engine; also cowling.
- A usually hood-shaped covering used to increase the draft of a chimney and prevent backflow.
- A ship's ventilator with a bell-shaped top which can be swivelled to catch the wind and force it below.
- A vertical projection of a ship's funnel that directs the smoke away from the bridge.
- (metonymy) A monk.
- To cover with, or as if with, a cowl (hood).
- To wrap or form (something made of fabric) like a cowl.
- To make a monk of (a person).
- A vessel carried on a pole, a soe.
- A caul (the amnion which encloses the foetus before birth, especially that part of it which sometimes shrouds a baby’s head at birth).