The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word NIOBIUM
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
N
I
O
B
I
U
M
More clues leading to the result NIOBIUM
- Principal in Number 10 wrong about one element
- Element one past student initially identified among miners
- Hip backing band in Japan? I’m not sure this is metal
- Principal in Number Ten wrong about one element
- Nota bene: — starts giving abbreviation for a silver-white element
- Metal miners employ old boy in islands
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "element" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case element = niobium.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 NIOBIUM mean?
NIOBIUM noun- A chemical element (symbol Nb) with an atomic number of 41: a light grey, crystalline, ductile transition metal used in superconducting materials.
- A single atom of this element.