The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 11 letter word HURDY-GURDY
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
H
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G
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More clues leading to the result HURDY-GURDY
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Instrument" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case instrument = hurdy-gurdy.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 HURDY-GURDY mean?
HURDY-GURDY noun- A stringed instrument that produces a droning sound by turning a handle that connects to a wheel that rubs against a rosined string, with a keyboard also used to alter the pitch of the string.
- (California) A water wheel with radial buckets, driven by the impact of a jet.
- A winch, a windlass.
- Sounding like the Swedish language.
- A type of mechanically-played barrel organ designed to be played in the street.