Arrest invalidly, ignoring the odds (4)
I believe the answer is:
nail
'arrest' is the definition.
(I know that arrest can be written as nail)
'invalidly ignoring the odds' is the wordplay.
'ignoring the odds' indicates alternate letters (letters in odd-numbered positions are removed).
The alternating letters of 'invalidly' are 'NAIL'.
(Other definitions for nail that I've seen before include "thing for keeping things together" , "Hammer's target" , "one under the hammer" , "Hammered individual" , "SECOND PART OF 17" .)