Cryptic crossword clue
Sort of creature that could give a lion heading off meat 7

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word AMNIOTE

I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
A
M
N
I
O
T
E

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Sort of creature" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case sort of creature = amniote.
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 AMNIOTE mean?

AMNIOTE noun
  1. Any of the Amniota group of vertebrates having an amnion during the development of the embryo; mammals, birds and reptiles.

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