The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word ROWEL
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
R
O
W
E
L
More clues leading to the result ROWEL
- Break top off hand tool making spiked wheel
- Arab digger, maybe, with no time for gardening tool
- Swapping hands, put down part of spur
- Spiked wheel — gardening tool saving time?
- Argument over the Spanish horseman's spiked wheel
- Reverse edges of inferior part of spur
- Wheel giving someone in boat change of direction
- It may be lower wheel at the end of a spur
- Sprocket — what you have to pay between hands
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "part of spur" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case part of spur = rowel.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 ROWEL mean?
ROWEL noun- The small spiked wheel on the end of a spur.
- A little flat ring or wheel on a horse's bit.
- A roll of hair, silk, etc., passed through the flesh of a horse in the manner of a seton in human surgery.
- To use a rowel on (something), especially to drain fluid.
- To fit with spurs.
- To apply the spur to.
- To incite; to goad.