What does the cryptic crossword clue "Wine barrel trimmed to make instrument (7)" mean?

The definition is "instrument". The wordplay uses a charade (building blocks). SACK (synonym="‘wine’ – as old a term as the instrument") + BUT (synonym="BUT") = SACKBUT; definition: "instrument" The answer is SACKBUT.

Wine barrel trimmed to make instrument (7)

Guardian Cryptic #29288 | 1 Across | 2024-01-25 flower

← Back to puzzle

Visit Guardian's puzzle site →