The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word UNHATCHED
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
U
N
H
A
T
C
H
E
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 UNHATCHED mean?
UNHATCHED adjective- Not yet hatched.
- Not shaded with hatching.