Crossword Genius

Over eleven months spent on first novel's long? (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

yearn

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'long?' is the definition.
('yearn' can be a synonym of 'long')

I cannot understand how the rest of the clue works.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for yearn that I've seen before include "Have an intense feeling of longing" , "Hanker" , "wish" , "Ache, crave" , "Feel desire" .)

I've seen this clue in The Irish 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.