The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word SACRISTY
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
S
A
C
R
I
S
T
Y
More clues leading to the result SACRISTY
- Changing room is icy, star’s shivering
- Place for minister it’s scary to switch
- Hearts lost to Jesus in, for example, part of church
- Room for investment?
- It’s scary getting converted in this part of church
- Room in church — it’s scary, somehow
- Church office, for example, occupied by councillor is ultimately competent
- Room in church designed as crypt is lacking power
- Vestry typically holds object of worship husband left
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "part of church" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case part of church = sacristy.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 SACRISTY mean?
SACRISTY noun- A room in a church where sacred vessels, books, vestments, etc. are kept. Sometimes also used by clergy to prepare for worship or for meetings.