Cryptic crossword clue
Simple life form frantic to keep functioning 5

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word MONAD

I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
M
O
N
A
D

Buddy explains!

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 MONAD mean?

MONAD noun
  1. An ultimate atom, or simple, unextended point; something ultimate and indivisible.
  2. A single individual (such as a pollen grain) that is free from others, not united in a group.
  3. A monoid object in the category of endofunctors of a fixed category.

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