Prudish character simpers dreadfully around knight (8)

I believe the answer is:

primness

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'prudish character' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both human attributes as well as being singular nouns.
Maybe they are linked in a way I don't understand?

'simpers dreadfully around knight' is the wordplay.
'dreadfully' indicates an anagram (a dreadful spelling).
'around' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'knight' becomes 'N' (chess abbreviation).
'simpers' is an anagram of 'primess'.
'primess' going around 'n' is 'PRIMNESS'.

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I've seen this clue in The Times.

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