Cryptic crossword clue
Plates grate in area of bone 8

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word SCUTELLA

S
C
U
T
E
L
L
A

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Plates" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case plates = scutella.
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 SCUTELLA mean?

SCUTELLA noun
  1. A scutellum.
SCUTELLA noun
  1. Any of several shield-shaped structures in insects, grasses etc

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