Cryptic crossword clue
Very dark stream, second to circle lake 3,5

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 3 plus 5 letter word JET BLACK

I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
J
E
T
B
L
A
C
K

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Very dark" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case very dark = jet black.
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 JET BLACK mean?

JET BLACK noun
  1. Coal-black; the blackest black
JET BLACK adjective
  1. Coal-black; of the blackest black

Latest crossword clues with full explanations