Crossword Genius

Creep visiting hospital catches cold (4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

inch

'creep' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)

'visiting hospital catches cold' is the wordplay.
'visiting' becomes 'in' ().
'hospital' becomes 'H' (abbreviation for hospital).
'catches' indicates putting letters inside.
'cold' becomes 'C' (eg on taps).
'in'+'h'='inh'
'inh' enclosing 'c' is 'INCH'.

(Other definitions for inch that I've seen before include "0.08333 of a foot" , "Edge along" , "Move slowly and cautiously" , "Imperial unit of length" , "Move in tiny increments" .)

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.