The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 letter word REAM
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
R
E
A
M
More clues leading to the result REAM
- A lot of paper’s pale yellow with no carbon
- Religious education in the morning papers
- In here, a modest quantity of paper
- 500 sheets? Manufacturer backed turning out a thousand
- Paper tiger the Mafia? Bunkum, all may conclude!
- Kingdom losing large pieces of paper
- Taking top off, what you might do in bed sheets
- Paper bundle half studied in the morning
- Fancy going topless for paper
- Paper run needing energy in the morning
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "pieces of paper" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case pieces of paper = ream.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 REAM mean?
REAM noun- Cream; also, the creamlike froth on ale or other liquor; froth or foam in general.
- To cream; mantle; foam; froth.
- To enlarge a hole, especially using a reamer; to bore a hole wider.
- To shape or form, especially using a reamer.
- To remove (material) by reaming.
- To remove burrs and debris from a freshly bored hole.
- To yell at or berate.
- (by extension from sense of enlarging a hole) To sexually penetrate in a rough and painful way.
- A bundle, package, or quantity of paper, nowadays usually containing 500 sheets.
- (chiefly in the plural) An abstract large amount of something.