The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word GRANNIE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
G
R
A
N
N
I
E
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 GRANNIE mean?
GRANNIE noun- A grandmother.
- An elderly woman.
- (knots) A granny knot.
- (farming) An older ewe that may lure a lamb away from its mother.