The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word PIECEMEAL
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
P
I
E
C
E
M
E
A
L
More clues leading to the result PIECEMEAL
- Not altogether calm when speaking at dinner?
- Bit some food, bit by bit
- Reportedly quiet before lunch, say, patchy
- Gradual increase ultimately in diamonds, a thousand in ring
- Little by little, sound of silence spread
- Dish given to cold English male cooked in stages
- Bit by bit, chancellor tucks into pastry breakfast?
- Church divides pasty supper, maybe using salami tactics
- Example of a man finally moving up bit by bit
- Story spread in stages
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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 PIECEMEAL mean?
PIECEMEAL noun- A fragment; a scrap.
- To divide or distribute piecemeal; dismember.
- Made or done in pieces or one stage at a time.
- Piece by piece; in small amounts, stages, or degrees.
- Into pieces or parts.