The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 letter word COOK
I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
C
O
O
K
More clues leading to the result COOK
- Chef taking care of punch conclusively tipped
- Prepare carbon monoxide at absolute zero
- Heat? It’s freezing over — absolute zero!
- Captain‘s doctor
- 4 down to get firm endorsement for a foreign secretary
- In exploration, this one fellow is presented with fine
- Chef‘s firm “Yes”
- I’m astonished by Köchel’s fiddle
- one who went over the edge in 16, a captain of discovery
- Do business right
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "One (i.e. captain) associated with exploration" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case one (i.e. captain) associated with exploration = cook.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 COOK mean?
COOK noun- A person who prepares food.
- The head cook of a manor house
- The degree or quality of cookedness of food
- One who manufactures certain illegal drugs, especially meth.
- A session of manufacturing certain illegal drugs, especially meth.
- A fish, the European striped wrasse, Labrus mixtus.
- To prepare (food) for eating by heating it, often by combining it with other ingredients.
- To prepare (unspecified) food for eating by heating it, often by combining it with other ingredients.
- To be cooked.
- To be uncomfortably hot.
- To execute by electric chair.
- To hold onto (a grenade) briefly after igniting the fuse, so that it explodes almost immediately after being thrown.
- To concoct or prepare.
- To tamper with or alter; to cook up.
- To play or improvise in an inspired and rhythmically exciting way. (From 1930s jive talk.)
- To play music vigorously.
- To make the noise of the cuckoo.
- To throw.