Amoral maniac losing a tooth (5)
I believe the answer is:
molar
'amoral maniac' is the definition.
Both the answer and definition are adjectives. Perhaps they are linked in a way I don't understand?
'losing a tooth' is the wordplay.
'losing' indicates named letters should be taken away.
'a' becomes 'per' (eg 'one a day' means 'one per day').
'tooth' becomes 'premolar' (premolar is a kind of tooth).
'premolar' with 'per' removed is 'MOLAR'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for molar that I've seen before include "Grinding tooth in the back of a mammal's mouth" , "of ivory, perhaps" , "Broad-crowned tooth" , "Large tooth" , "Chewer and grinder" .)