Crossword Genius

Type of COBRA meeting interrupted by head of police (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

spitting

'type of cobra' is the definition.

'meeting interrupted by head of police' is the wordplay.
'meeting' becomes 'sitting' (sitting is a kind of meeting**).
'interrupted by' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'head of' indicates taking the first letters.
The initial letter of 'police' is 'p'.
'sitting' going around 'p' is 'SPITTING'.

(Other definitions for spitting that I've seen before include "Expectorating" , "showing disrespect" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
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