The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word MATERNAL
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
M
A
T
E
R
N
A
L
More clues leading to the result MATERNAL
- Protective stuff, indefinite amount for India
- Mother’s always going on, losing head after morning’s over
- Like woman raising issue or unusually alert man
- Chap endlessly cuddling a bird like his mother?
- Paisley, for example – not one to take note of old lady
- Protective of the one kicked out of the disorderly parliament after commencement
- Protective, like granny looking after daughter
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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 MATERNAL mean?
MATERNAL noun- A mother.
- A person related through the mother, or her side of the family; a maternal relative.
- Of or pertaining to a mother; having the characteristics of a mother; motherly.
- Related through the mother, or her side of the family.
- Derived from the mother as opposed to the foetus during pregnancy.