The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word SKELETON
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
S
K
E
L
E
T
O
N
More clues leading to the result SKELETON
- Poet retaining English structure as basis
- Bob or crew cut?
- Sort of bob, remarkably sleek fashion
- Poet keeping English as framework
- Thankless task to get the Spanish school structural support
- Poet framing end of verse - the bare bones?
- Bob, going downhill rapidly, very bony appearance
- Carelessly lost knee bones
- Basic structure half of sketch revealed
- Doctor lost knee bones!
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "structure as basis" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case structure as basis = skeleton.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 SKELETON mean?
SKELETON noun- The system that provides support to an organism, internal and made up of bones and cartilage in vertebrates, external in some other animals.
- An anthropomorphic representation of a skeleton.
- A very thin person.
- The central core of something that gives shape to the entire structure.
- A frame that provides support to a building or other construction.
- A client-helper procedure that communicates with a stub.
- The vertices and edges of a polyhedron, taken collectively.
- A very thin form of light-faced type.
- (attributive) Reduced to a minimum or bare essentials.
- To reduce to a skeleton; to skin; to skeletonize
- To minimize
- A type of tobogganing in which competitors lie face down, and descend head first.