A short engagement (3)
I believe the answer is:
gig
This clue might be a double definition.
'a short' is the first definition.
The definition and answer can be both acts as well as being singular nouns.
Perhaps there's a link between them I don't understand?
'engagement' is the second definition.
(gig is a kind of engagement)
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for gig that I've seen before include "Live musical performance" , "Palindromic one-night engagement" , "A single musical performance - it's a palindrome" , "Horse carriage - performer's single booking" , "In pop parlance, a one-night performance" .)