The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 10 letter word TABLECLOTH
I've seen this crossword clue in The Sunday Telegraph
T
A
B
L
E
C
L
O
T
H
More clues leading to the result TABLECLOTH
- Conservative altered the ballot boxes: one’s providing teatime coverage?
- Propose clergy must get cover for board
- Suggest a great deal in church linen
- Menu set on end of bench covering item for dinner, perhaps
- Nerd hiding in the lab breaking cover
- After laying out for dinner, one’s left shaken — or taken to the cleaners
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "covering item for dinner, perhaps" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case covering item for dinner, perhaps = tablecloth.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 TABLECLOTH mean?
TABLECLOTH noun- A cloth used to cover and protect a table, especially for a dining table.