African providing a warming drink about ten (9)
I believe the answer is:
hottentot
'african' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
'warming drink about ten' is the wordplay.
'warming' becomes 'hot' (similar in meaning).
'drink' becomes 'tot' (a small alcoholic drink).
'about' says to put letters next to each other.
'tot' after 'ten' is 'tentot'.
'hot'+'tentot'='HOTTENTOT'
'providing a' acts as a link.
This may not be correct. Some or all of it may belong to another bit of the clue.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for hottentot that I've seen before include "Former term applied to Khoikhoi peoples" , "-- fig, Carpobratus edulis" , "Barbarian" , "African language" , "Old South African" .)