Cryptic crossword clue
Maiden being dressed in coarse cloth as an abusive punishment? 8

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word SMACKING

I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "an abusive punishment" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case an abusive punishment = smacking.
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.

Crossword Answer definitions

SMACKING verb
  1. To get the flavor of.
  2. To indicate or suggest something; used with of.
  3. To have a particular taste; used with of.
SMACKING verb
  1. To slap someone.
  2. To make a smacking sound.
  3. To strike a child (usually on the buttocks) as a form of discipline. (US spank)
  4. To wetly separate the lips, making a noise, after tasting something or in expectation of a treat.
  5. To kiss with a close compression of the lips, so as to make a sound when they separate.
SMACKING noun
  1. A series of smacks; the act by which somebody is smacked.

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