The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word LAYWOMAN
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
L
A
Y
W
O
M
A
N
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Ordinary female" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case ordinary female = laywoman.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 LAYWOMAN mean?
LAYWOMAN noun- A woman who is a layperson, one who has not taken a religious oath (such as becoming a nun).
- By analogy, a woman who is not a professional in a given field