The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word ELLIPSES
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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 ELLIPSES mean?
ELLIPSES noun- A closed curve, the locus of a point such that the sum of the distances from that point to two other fixed points (called the foci of the ellipse) is constant; equivalently, the conic section that is the intersection of a cone with a plane that does not intersect the base of the cone.
- A mark consisting of (in English) three periods, historically or more formally with spaces in between, before, and after them “ . . . ”, or more recently a single character “…” Ellipses are used to indicate that words have been omitted in a text or that they are missing or illegible.
- (grammar) The omission of a word or phrase that can be inferred from the context.
- The omission of scenes in a film that do not advance the plot.
- An ellipse.