The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word MICROBE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
M
I
C
R
O
B
E
More clues leading to the result MICROBE
- Bug Mike then hide
- Laboratory animals about to take bug
- Vermin Nick caught which can’t be seen normally
- Something small and alive Robert fed to rodents
- Nick beset by vermin, getting germ
- Bug to remain attached to top half of mike
- Bug attached to dress, a tiny organism
- Lab animals injected with appropriate virus
- Little one starts to marinade Indian chutney dressing
- Germ Robert found in rodents
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Something small and alive" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case something small and alive = microbe.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 MICROBE mean?
MICROBE noun- Any microorganism, but especially a harmful bacterium.