A previous entertainer (9)

I believe the answer is:

performer

'entertainer' is the definition.
(performer is a kind of entertainer)

'a previous' is the wordplay.
'a' becomes 'per' (eg 'one a day' means 'one per day').
'previous' becomes 'former' (synonyms).
'per'+'former'='PERFORMER'

(Other definitions for performer that I've seen before include "Entertainer" , "Thespian" , "player" , "star?" , "artist" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.

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