The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word AMNIA
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
A
M
N
I
A
More clues leading to the result AMNIA
- Membranesin a mess
- Inner membranes not left in butchered animal
- Fluid containers? It’s madness switching first couple
- Thin membranes leading to anemia without drug administration
- Protective membranes make doctor run out of gas
- Butchered animal and left out membranes
- Salmon oil, a regular early protection for young vertebrates
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "early protection for young vertebrates" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case early protection for young vertebrates = amnia.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 AMNIA mean?
AMNIA noun- The innermost membrane of the fetal membranes of reptiles, birds, and mammals; the sac in which the embryo is suspended.