Animal munching a tuber (5)

I believe the answer is:

brute

'animal' is the definition.
(I know that animal can be written as brute)

'munching a tuber' is the wordplay.
'munching' indicates an anagram (letters crushed or munched into a new form).
'tuber' is an anagram of 'BRUTE'.

(Other definitions for brute that I've seen before include "Cruel creature" , "Vicious type" , "'Et tu, - - !' (J.Caesar)" , "Monster" , "Heartless individual" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.

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