The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word ANACONDA
I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
A
N
A
C
O
N
D
A
More clues leading to the result ANACONDA
- It's said girl skinned a large reptile
- Gossip and argument against lawyer one gets crush on
- Report of girl deceived by a snake
- A prisoner’s put in with a strangler
- Articles by lawyer written about jailbird strangler
- Heard an Acting Chancellor had a large snake
- A prisoner entering with a snake
- South American killer has a sting to pierce duck
- On entering Canada, tumbled into the Snake
- Moreover, securing a prisoner with a snake
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "large snake" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case large snake = anaconda.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 ANACONDA mean?
ANACONDA noun- Any of various large nonvenomous snakes of the genus Eunectes, found mainly in northern South America. Their length can grow to as much as 5 m (15 ft).
- (by extension) A large penis.
- A particular variety of stud poker.