The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word SWAIN
I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
S
W
A
I
N
More clues leading to the result SWAIN
- Error about Washington lover
- Suitor introduced originally in Shakespeare, perhaps?
- Male escort Ewan stripped in a den of vice
- A young man who is in love with Lolita in the film
- Young man saw model home
- Lover was injured at home
- Boatman gives away an apple for a lover
- Light man, one hugged as young lover
- Young lover's dancing was all the rage
- Initially someone with affectionate intentions, naturally
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Male escort" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case male escort = swain.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 SWAIN mean?
SWAIN noun- A young man or boy in service; a servant.
- A knight's servant; an attendant.
- A country labourer; a countryman, a rustic.
- A rural lover; a male sweetheart in a pastoral setting.