Crossword Genius

Put protective coat on cow I go out with (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

oxidate

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'put protective coat on cow i go out with' is the definition.
I can't judge whether this definition defines the answer.

'on cow i go out with' is the wordplay.
'on' says to put letters next to each other.
'cow' becomes 'ox'.
'go out with' becomes 'date' (synonyms).
'ox' next to 'i' is 'oxi'.
'oxi'+'date'='OXIDATE'

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I've seen this clue in The Guardian.
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