The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 10 letter word STALACTITE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
S
T
A
L
A
C
T
I
T
E
More clues leading to the result STALACTITE
- Off masking pretence with it, a hanger-on?
- Something hanging from roof in untidy attic with musty surroundings
- Rock formation, mostly milky in condition
- One whose existence depends on dripping
- Cave deposit, old – work on it inside
- Found in flat, a flier supporting clubs offering underground rock
- Underground deposit, old — work on it inside
- A hanging for a caveman?
- Italian taken in by the revolutionary bites into crumbling talc inside a cave structure
- Cave deposit, old - work on it inside
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Underground deposit" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case underground deposit = stalactite.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 STALACTITE mean?
STALACTITE noun- A secondary mineral deposit of calcium carbonate or another mineral, in shapes similar to icicles, that hangs from the roof of a cave.