The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 letter word CODE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
C
O
D
E
More clues leading to the result CODE
- Initially confused by poem in secret language
- English following fake set of rules
- Swimmer last in race, might one be broken?
- Secret language of fish — English?
- Fish getting European set of regulations
- Chapter and verse in secret language
- See 19ac.
- See 22dn.
- Morse perhaps starts to criticise other detectives’ evidence
- Fake message lately in cryptic form?
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "might one be broken?" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case might one be broken? = code.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 CODE mean?
CODE noun- A short symbol, often with little relation to the item it represents.
- A body of law, sanctioned by legislation, in which the rules of law to be specifically applied by the courts are set forth in systematic form; a compilation of laws by public authority; a digest.
- Any system of principles, rules or regulations relating to one subject.
- A set of rules for converting information into another form or representation.
- A message represented by rules intended to conceal its meaning.
- A cryptographic system using a codebook that converts words or phrases into codewords.
- Instructions for a computer, written in a programming language; the input of a translator, an interpreter or a browser, namely: source code, machine code, bytecode.
- (scientific programming) A program.
- A particular lect or language variety.
- An emergency requiring situation-trained members of the staff.
- To write software programs.
- To add codes to a dataset.
- To categorise by assigning identifiers from a schedule, for example CPT coding for medical insurance purposes.
- To encode.
- To encode a protein.
- To call a hospital emergency code.
- Of a patient, to suffer a sudden medical emergency (a code blue) such as cardiac arrest.