Crossword Genius

Nip on part of face by a rodent (10)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

chinchilla

'rodent' is the definition.
(chinchilla is a kind of rodent)

'nip on part of face by a' is the wordplay.
'nip' becomes 'chill' (nip can mean a chill in the air).
'on' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'part of face' becomes 'chin' (facial feature).
'by' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'chill' put after 'chin' is 'chinchill'.
'chinchill'+'a'='CHINCHILLA'

(Other definitions for chinchilla that I've seen before include "Soft grey fur" , "Rabbit" , "little furry animal" , "furry creature" , "(Fur of) a small South American rodent" .)

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.