Crossword Genius

As a colonel, he rose to a certain height (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

blimp

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

'as a colonel he rose to a certain height' is the definition.
The answer is a person as well as being a singular noun. This is suggested by the definition.

This is the entire clue.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for blimp that I've seen before include "Elderly pompous reactionary person" , "David Low's cartoon colonel - airship used for publicity" , "needs cover when shooting" , "Airship - barrage balloon" , "aircraft" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.
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.