The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word CYPRESS
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
C
Y
P
R
E
S
S
More clues leading to the result CYPRESS
- Conifer from Mediterranean island, it’s said
- Below heart of local battle site is small tree
- Gas across battlefield becomes mourning symbol
- Type of conifer company cleared out on one of the estates
- Evergreen City, bypassing midfield, push forward
- Tree common to Bar-le-Duc, Ypres, Somme
- Sound island for tree
- Constant battle getting capital to save large plant
- City crowd loses it, mourning symbol
- As example of 27, it must be removed from city newspapers
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Type of conifer" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case type of conifer = cypress.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 CYPRESS mean?
CYPRESS noun- An evergreen coniferous tree with flattened shoots bearing small scale-like leaves, whose dark foliage is sometimes associated with mourning, in family Cupressaceae, especially the genera Cupressus and Chamaecyparis.
- A thin, translucent, usually black fabric, a kind of crape.