Crossword Genius

Man in village nearby (4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

gene

'man' is the definition.

'in village nearby' is the wordplay.
'in' indicates a hidden word.
'GENE' is hidden within 'village nearby'.

(Other definitions for gene that I've seen before include "Something got from parent < for boy" , "affects someone's make-up" , "___ Kelly, star of Singin' In The Rain, d. 1996" , "Unit of heredity significance" , "Biological factor determining heredity" .)

I've seen this clue in The Sun.
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.