| CLOU | French word for "nail" that refers to the crux, chief attraction, dominant idea, focus or main point of interest (4) |
| GIST | General meaning or main point (4) |
| UNDERRUN | Word that refers to the degree to which a programme falls short; the action of going, passing or running beneath; or, the current below the surface, whether real or figurative (8) |
| HARD | First word of the term that refers to the computer component containing several disks, or platters, with an electromagnetic read/write head for each surface. A microprocessor in this part controls the |
| FRUITAGE | Old or literary word that refers to the process or season of producing berries, drupes, pepos, pomes etc; or, said crop or harvest collectively (8) |
| PESACH | Hebrew word for "pass over" that refers to the Jewish Feast of the Unleavened Bread, aka Passover (6) |
| KEYSTONE | Eye up knots used to get to the crux of the matter (8) |
| EOAN | Word used by Shelley in Ode to Liberty that refers to the dawn (4) |
| CROCEOUS | Word for "saffron-coloured" that refers to the ancient Greek name of said dried orange-hued stigmas (8) |
| STOCK | A tree trunk or main stem; a perennial part of a herbaceous plant; a person's ancestry or line of descent; a fund or store; or, a farm's collective animals, kept for meat or milk (5) |
| LADYBIRD | With a Latin designation that refers to the word "scarlet", a spotted beetle esteemed by gardeners, whose name was given to an imprint of children's books (8) |
| ALLHEAL | Name of a species of betony, prunella or valerian that refers to the reputed medicinal, restorative or therapeutic qualities of said herbs (7) |
| VACCINE | Get to the crux of cardiovascular hiccup pertinently, to prevent disease |
| ONTHEQT | Secretly in contact with speech therapist, getting to the crux of what cutie said |
| TARGET | Word for a small round shield or buckler first, later a board with concentric circles as a butt to shoot at, thus an aim/focus; or, a victim (6) |
| MOTIF | Dominant idea or word from French Count's prison island |
| MOTIFS | Word for dominant ideas, figures, licks, patterns, riffs, shapes or themes recurring in books, paintings, songs etc; or, decorative patches appliqued onto garments (6) |
| PITH | Cellular medulla in the stems of dicotyledonous plants; the similar spongy white mesocarp of an orange; a feather's interior; or, by extension, the crux or essence of something (4) |
| STEM | The root or main part of a word to which formative elements are added (4) |
| ALLAH | Arabic word that refers to the Supreme Being |
