Crossword Genius

Spotted cat circle church group (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

ocelot

'spotted cat' is the definition.
(wild cat that has spots)

'circle church group' is the wordplay.
'circle' becomes 'O' (O is a circle).
'church' becomes 'CE' (abbreviation for Church of England).
'group' becomes 'lot'.
'o'+'ce'+'lot'='OCELOT'

(Other definitions for ocelot that I've seen before include "Type of American wildcat" , "Wildcat -- loo etc (anag)" , "American cat, like a small leopard" , "Feline of South and Central America" , "Wild cat, native to Central and South America - loo etc (anag)" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.
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