Cryptic crossword clue
Setter’s after Scottish thinker’s abscess 10

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 10 letter word IMPOSTHUME

I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "abscess" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case abscess = imposthume.
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 IMPOSTHUME mean?

IMPOSTHUME noun
  1. An abscess.
  2. A person suffering from an abscess.
IMPOSTHUME verb
  1. To form an abscess.
  2. To affect with an abscess.

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