The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word PRIORESS
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
P
R
I
O
R
E
S
S
More clues leading to the result PRIORESS
- Head of convent earlier was miles away from confusion
- Nun providing media coverage of 2016 Olympic venue
- She’s responsible for maintaining order in retirement
- Superior newspapers featuring South American city
- Superior newspapers covering South American city
- Contributor to 10 has papers about French king’s ascent
- Superior lady with unmarried sisters in her care
- Prominent sister with Ferdinand in the papers
- Old letter found in Chaucer collection
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Head of convent" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case head of convent = prioress.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 PRIORESS mean?
PRIORESS noun- A nun in charge of a priory (usually lower in rank than an abbess); mother superior.