Crossword Genius

Animal protecting right area of body (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

breast

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'area of body' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both body parts as well as being singular nouns.
Maybe there's an association between them I don't understand?

'animal protecting right' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite see how this works, but
'right' could be 'r' (common abbreviation) and 'r' is found in the answer.
'animal' could be 'beast' (synonyms) and 'beast' is present in the leftover letters.
No letters remain.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for breast that I've seen before include "joint for diners" , "Milk-secreting organ" , "Outer thorax" , "Poultry joint" , "Chicken portion" .)

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.