Beat a priest (4)

I believe the answer is:

lama

'priest' is the definition.
(lama is a kind of priest)

'beat a' is the wordplay.
'beat' becomes 'lam' (I've seen this before**).
'lam'+'a'='LAMA'

(Other definitions for lama that I've seen before include "A Buddhist priest in Tibet (4)" , "Dalai . . . ., chief priest and once ruler of Tibet" , "Tibetan spiritual leader" , "Holy man in Tibet" , "devout Buddhist" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.

Want a hint initially instead of a full solution? Install my app