Boat netting five carp (6)
I believe the answer is:
kvetch
'carp' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both to do with communicating as well as being verbs in their base form.
Maybe you can see an association between them that I can't see?
'boat netting five' is the wordplay.
'boat' becomes 'ketch' (ketch is a kind of sailing vessel).
'netting' means one lot of letters goes inside another (net can mean to contain or capture).
'five' becomes 'v' (roman numeral).
'ketch' enclosing 'v' is 'KVETCH'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for kvetch that I've seen before include "Complain" , "grouse" , "Whinger" .)