The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word EMULSION
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
E
M
U
L
S
I
O
N
More clues leading to the result EMULSION
- Menus designed with oil paint
- Mule is skidding on oily mixture
- Paint big birds seizing big cat by its head
- Muse close to Lucian smeared with oil paint
- Hull extension is only unfinished building — painters use it
- Clergyman leaves type of 20, making way for a measure of paint
- Perhaps milk with muesli made available
- Redesign menus with oil paint
- One slum I refurbished — with this?
- Paint bird and mammal around edge of canvas
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "paint" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case paint = emulsion.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 EMULSION mean?
EMULSION noun- A stable suspension of small droplets of one liquid in another with which it is immiscible.
- A colloid in which both phases are liquid.
- The coating of photosensitive silver halide grains in a thin gelatine layer on a photographic film.