The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word TADPOLE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
T
A
D
P
O
L
E
More clues leading to the result TADPOLE
- A little European larva
- Little swimmer's a little pale
- Little rod gets this young amphibian?
- Young swimmer needing a little support
- Time pedalo moved for young swimmer
- Young swimmer initially drowning, passed out in story
- Tiny swimmer: little perch?
- Immature swimmer bit staff
- Little European frog potentially
- Young creature to plead insanity
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Young swimmer" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case young swimmer = tadpole.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 TADPOLE mean?
TADPOLE noun- A young toad or frog in its larval stage of development that lives in water, has a tail and no legs, and, like a fish, breathes through gills.
- (by extension) The aquatic larva of any amphibian.
- A type of cargo bike that has two wheels in front and one in back.
- A child's basic drawing of a human being, having a detailed head but only sticks for the body and limbs.