Crossword Genius

A column of people (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

backbone

'a column of people' is the definition.
(spinal column)

'a column' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite understand how this works, but
'a' could be 'one' and 'one' is present in the answer.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

(Other definitions for backbone that I've seen before include "Spine or courage" , "Firmness of character" , "Informal courage of spinal kind" , "Spinal column courage" , "Steel" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.