Cryptic crossword clue
was on top of his distemper

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 letter word WASH

I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
W
A
S
H

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The straight part
We know that "distemper" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case distemper = wash.
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 WASH mean?

WASH noun
  1. The process or an instance of washing or being washed by water or other liquid.
  2. A liquid used for washing.
  3. A lotion or other liquid with medicinal or hygienic properties.
  4. The quantity of clothes washed at a time.
  5. A smooth and translucent painting created using a paintbrush holding a large amount of solvent and a small amount of paint.
  6. The sound of breaking of the seas, e.g., on the shore.
  7. The wake of a moving ship.
  8. The turbulence left in the air by a moving airplane.
  9. Ground washed away to the sea or a river.
  10. A piece of ground washed by the action of water, or sometimes covered and sometimes left dry; the shallowest part of a river, or arm of the sea; also, a bog; a marsh.
  11. A shallow body of water.
  12. In arid and semi-arid regions, the normally dry bed of an intermittent or ephemeral stream; an arroyo or wadi.
  13. A situation in which losses and gains or advantages and disadvantages are equivalent; a situation in which there is no net change.
  14. A fictitious kind of sale of stock or other securities between parties of one interest, or by a broker who is both buyer and seller, and who minds his own interest rather than that of his clients.
  15. Waste liquid, the refuse of food, the collection from washed dishes, etc., from a kitchen, often used as food for pigs; pigwash.
  16. In distilling, the fermented wort before the spirit is extracted.
  17. A mixture of dunder, molasses, water, and scummings, used in the West Indies for distillation.
  18. A thin coat of paint or metal laid on anything for beauty or preservation.
  19. The blade of an oar.
  20. The backward current or disturbed water caused by the action of oars, or of a steamer's screw or paddles, etc.
  21. Ten strikes, or bushels, of oysters.
  22. The upper surface of a member or material when given a slope to shed water; hence, a structure or receptacle shaped so as to receive and carry off water.
  23. A lighting effect that fills a scene with a chosen colour.
  24. (stagecraft) A lighting fixture that can cast a wide beam of light to evenly fill an area with light, as opposed to a spotlight.
WASH verb
  1. To clean with water.
  2. To move or erode by the force of water in motion.
  3. To separate valuable material (such as gold) from worthless material by the action of flowing water.
  4. To clean oneself with water.
  5. To cover with water or any liquid; to wet; to fall on and moisten.
  6. To move with a lapping or swashing sound; to lap or splash.
  7. To be eroded or carried away by the action of water.
  8. To be cogent, convincing; to withstand critique.
  9. To bear without injury the operation of being washed.
  10. To be wasted or worn away by the action of water, as by a running or overflowing stream, or by the dashing of the sea; said of road, a beach, etc.
  11. To cover with a thin or watery coat of colour; to tint lightly and thinly.
  12. To overlay with a thin coat of metal.
  13. To cause dephosphorization of (molten pig iron) by adding substances containing iron oxide, and sometimes manganese oxide.
  14. To pass (a gas or gaseous mixture) through or over a liquid for the purpose of purifying it, especially by removing soluble constituents.

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