The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word MANHOOD
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
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Buddy explains!
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 MANHOOD mean?
MANHOOD noun- The state or condition of being a human being
- The state or condition of being an adult male human being, as distinguished from a child or a woman. Compare adulthood. Contrast womanhood and childhood.
- All of the adult male human beingss of a given locality, region, district, country, nation or state, or all of the adult male humans pertaining to a given human subgroup (culture, race, ethnicity, lineage, family, etc.), regarded collectively
- The idealized nature of an adult male human: all of the characteristics traditionally and ideally ascribed to manliness, such as: courage, bravery, dominance, resolve, self-control, executive ability, physical/bodily strength, and sexual potency as regarded collectively
- The self-concept of a man (an adult male human being) with respect to his possession of the various qualities traditionally and ideally ascribed to manliness; a man's sense or view of himself as being more or less manly
- The male genitalia, especially the penis