Adores wife's gold vessels (8)
I believe the answer is:
worships
'adores' is the definition.
(worshipping is a kind of adoring)
'wife's gold vessels' is the wordplay.
'wife' becomes 'w'.
'gold' becomes 'or' ('or' is the heraldic name for gold).
'vessels' becomes 'ships' (ship is a kind of vessel).
'w'+'or'+'ships'='WORSHIPS'
(Other definitions for worships that I've seen before include "Idolises" , "Reveres and venerates" , "Shows devotion to a deity" , "Attends religious services" , "Honours with praise and prayer" .)