Ability to develop a certain amount of prowess (5)
I believe the answer is:
power
'ability' is the definition.
(I know that ability can be written as power)
'develop a certain amount of prowess' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite understand how this works, but
'amount' could be 'w' (W is an example) and 'w' is found in the answer.
'of' could be 'o' and 'o' is located in the answer.
'a' could be 'per' (eg 'one a day' means 'one per day') and 'per' is found in the remaining letters.
This accounts for all the letters.
This may be the basis of the clue (or it may be nonsense).
'to' is the link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for power that I've seen before include "Rate of doing work" , "Supply with energy" , "Ability to act or physical might" , "Supremacy, force" , "Three to the third - is twenty-seven" .)