Crossword Genius

Number observed outside party, perhaps (9)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

seventeen

'number' is the definition.
(I know that seventeen is a Leyland number)

'observed outside party perhaps' is the wordplay.
'observed' becomes 'seen' (synonyms).
'outside' is an insertion indicator.
'party perhaps' becomes 'event' (party is a kind of event).
'seen' going around 'event' is 'SEVENTEEN'.

(Other definitions for seventeen that I've seen before include "next clue" , "Cardinal number" , "Figure" , "Quite a few" , "XVII" .)

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.