The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word THINKER
I've seen this crossword clue in The Sunday Telegraph
T
H
I
N
K
E
R
More clues leading to the result THINKER
- One perhaps musing hours in mobile repairer
- Cerebral sort of rascal capturing hearts
- Itinerant tradesman embracing Hamburg’s principal philosopher
- One ponders, having weak King with Queen
- Worker who travels around hospital, one doing brain operations
- Potter frustrated with Hermione's original brain?
- Naked bronzed French hunk veiled in paper-thin kerchief
- Figure Rodin sculpted: fiddle outside front of house
- Weak Starmer kicks out independent one of 26
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "one doing brain operations" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case one doing brain operations = thinker.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 THINKER mean?
THINKER noun- One who spends time thinking, contemplating or meditating.
- An intellectual, such as a philosopher or theologian.