Crossword Genius

About to consume hot tea (3)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

cha

'tea' is the definition.
(cha is a type of tea)

'about to consume hot' is the wordplay.
'about' becomes 'ca' (circa).
'to consume' is an insertion indicator.
'hot' becomes 'h' (abbreviation eg on taps).
'ca' placed around 'h' is 'CHA'.

(Other definitions for cha that I've seen before include "drink" , "not allowed in ski lodge" , "Indian tea" , "Tea (colloquial)" , "Rosie Lee (slang)" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
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.