Cryptic crossword clue
Hospital in dampened ground 7

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word WHETTED

I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
W
H
E
T
T
E
D

More clues leading to the result WHETTED

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "ground" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case ground = whetted.
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 WHETTED mean?

WHETTED verb
  1. To hone or rub on with some substance, as a piece of stone, for the purpose of sharpening – see whetstone.
  2. To stimulate or make more keen.
  3. To preen.
WHETTED adjective
  1. (of a surface) exposed to a working fluid

Latest crossword clues with full explanations