The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word ESCARGOT
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
E
S
C
A
R
G
O
T
More clues leading to the result ESCARGOT
- Key words of a thief, slimy customer?
- Snail Charlie found amongst storage at sea
- Delay allowed returning books about small snail
- Time for New Yorkers to eat load of French food
- Starter in Le Mans makes car go through clutches
- Key language for gastropod
- Parisian is seen about freight delivering delicacy for him?
- Scare cook contracted to produce snail on the menu
- Mark tucking into eggs, initially came to one with shell
- Ogres cat demolished French delicacy
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "gastropod" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case gastropod = escargot.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 ESCARGOT mean?
ESCARGOT noun- A dish, commonly associated with French cuisine, consisting of edible snails.
- A snail (often Helix pomatia) used in preparation of that dish.