The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word WARDROOM
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
W
A
R
D
R
O
O
M
More clues leading to the result WARDROOM
- North-African chart put up in military quarters
- Secure with cable and pull back, producing mess on warship
- Mess for officers fighting resistance in destruction
- Anchor tug overturned creating mess for crew
- Drawback getting sufficient space for naval officers on board
- Officers’ mess right inside battle disaster
- Tie up tie over in officers’ mess
- Anchor tug capsized, creating mess for officers
- Special mess fighting resistance in ruin
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Mess for officers" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case mess for officers = wardroom.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 WARDROOM mean?
WARDROOM noun- The living quarters of a ship designated for the commissioned officers other than the captain.
- The commissioned officers of a ship, excluding the captain.