AA refers drunken sailor (8)
I believe the answer is:
seafarer
'sailor' is the definition.
(I know that sailor can be written as seafarer)
'aa refers drunken' is the wordplay.
'drunken' indicates an anagram.
'aa'+'refers'='aarefers'
'aarefers' anagrammed gives 'SEAFARER'.
(Other definitions for seafarer that I've seen before include "Marine traveller" , "Jack" , "One on the water" , "Rating maybe" , "man being attracted by waves?" .)