The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word VISCOUNT
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
V
I
S
C
O
U
N
T
More clues leading to the result VISCOUNT
- WW2 bombs are important for peer
- Five is total: that’s noble
- Noble is 1, 2, 3, 4, say, after 5?
- Noble‘s wayward cousin hugged by retired transvestite
- Title is the best part of thick books!
- Peer against one small feature of boxing
- Peer is number five to start
- Abridged volume is by Tolstoy, say, or British noble
- Volume is to include nobleman
- No end to tacky books — one with title
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Noble" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case noble = viscount.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 VISCOUNT mean?
VISCOUNT noun- A member of the peerage, above a baron but below a count or earl.
- Any of various nymphalid butterflies of the genus Tanaecia. Other butterflies in this genus are called earls and counts.