The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word HEARTHRUG
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
H
E
A
R
T
H
R
U
G
More clues leading to the result HEARTHRUG
- Listen all the way to the end of America’s good cover
- Catch hooligan pinching head of Repton’s floor-covering
- Copper finally enters to pick up ruffian, one put down in a hot spot?
- Discover ruffian keeps right in front of the fire
- Dad’s first to get out of draught and join her mingling by the fireside
- Squeeze out soil under river, place it before the fireplace
- Snuggle round rather novel fireside feature
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "cover" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case cover = hearthrug.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 HEARTHRUG mean?
HEARTHRUG noun- A rug placed in front of a fireplace, on the hearth.