Crossword Genius

Companion turned to catch gentleman's name (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

christen

'name' is the definition.

'companion turned to catch gentleman's' is the wordplay.
'companion' becomes 'ch' (I've seen this in other clues).
'turned' is a reversal indicator.
'to catch' becomes 'net' (netting is a kind of catching).
'gentleman' becomes 'sir' (I've seen this before).
'net'+'sir'='netsir'
'netsir' reversed gives 'risten'.
'ch'+'risten'='CHRISTEN'

(Other definitions for christen that I've seen before include "Give a name to (baby)" , "attach handle to" , "Baptise and name" , "Baptize" , "Name in church" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
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.