Crossword Genius

Name the early Muslim leaders interrupting Christian child out of familiarity (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

contempt

'child out of familiarity' is the definition.
(ref to the phrase 'familiarity breeds contempt')

'name the early muslim leaders interrupting christian' is the wordplay.
'leaders' says to take the initial letters.
'interrupting' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'christian' becomes 'copt' (member of the Coptic Church, a Christian church).
The first letters of 'name the early muslim' is 'ntem'.
'ntem' going within 'copt' is 'CONTEMPT'.

(Other definitions for contempt that I've seen before include "Disdain, say, perhaps of court" , "In which you may be held" , "Beneath this is despicable" , "The feeling of despising someone" , "bad behaviour in court" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.
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