The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 10 letter word SPERMACETI
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
S
P
E
R
M
A
C
E
T
I
More clues leading to the result SPERMACETI
- Greasy stuff in meat recipes sadly lacking energy
- Waxy substance ruined unfinished masterpiece
- Oily stuff: it’s about to keep hairdo wonderful
- Two-thirds of simple cerate
- Waxy whale product: seamen reportedly serve it in a turnover
- Waxy product on counter, it’s sustaining champion hairdresser?
- Initially, Captain Ahab’s temper is foul – possibly substance of Moby Dick?
- Short of a litre, adulterated camel spit with ear wax
- Raceme tips used to make wax
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Oily stuff" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case oily stuff = spermaceti.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 SPERMACETI mean?
SPERMACETI noun- A wax obtained from the head of sperm whales and used to make cosmetics etc.