The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word ENLARGER
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
E
N
L
A
R
G
E
R
Buddy explains!
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 ENLARGER mean?
ENLARGER noun- Any device that makes something bigger, or makes it appear bigger.
- An optical device used to make enlarged prints from a photographic negative