The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word UNDERSEAL
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
U
N
D
E
R
S
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A
L
More clues leading to the result UNDERSEAL
- Protective coat a Parisian youth put back round tongue?
- Waterproof submarine, second in Clyde
- Submarine meeting dreadful end, might this have stopped the rot?
- Real nudes abandoned protection against the weather
- Waterproof coat left on submarine
- Submarine’s left following protective coat
- Beetle’s protective covering?
- Vehicle’s treatment is short of a token of confirmation
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Protective coat" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case protective coat = underseal.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 UNDERSEAL mean?
UNDERSEAL noun- A thick, resilient coating applied to the underbody or chassis of an automobile to protect against damage from small stones, etc, which would rapidly chip ordinary paint and allowing rusting to begin.
- To coat (the underbody or chassis of a vehicle) with underseal.