The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word DETECTIVE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
D
E
T
E
C
T
I
V
E
More clues leading to the result DETECTIVE
- Dick, not working, takes female out for a short time
- Perhaps Morse not working has time for female
- Jack not working, having time for female
- Nice summer on court covered by joint investigator
- Policeman found in cheap bar outside either city, oddly
- Sleuth not working, with time for female
- Policeman failing to apprehend leader of Triads for force
- Sort of story for solver
- Police officer in bust making fellow tense initially
- Member of police force becomes tense during bust
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Perhaps Morse" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case perhaps morse = detective.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 DETECTIVE mean?
DETECTIVE noun- (law enforcement) A police officer who looks for evidence as part of solving a crime; an investigator.
- A person employed to find information not otherwise available to the public.
- Employed in detecting.