Briefly compelled to accommodate initially intransigent spinster (4)
I believe the answer is:
maid
'spinster' is the definition.
(thesaurus)
'briefly compelled to accommodate initially intransigent' is the wordplay.
'briefly' means to remove the last letter.
'compelled' becomes 'made' (I've seen this in another clue).
'to accommodate' indicates putting letters inside.
'initially' indicates taking the first letters.
The initial letter of 'intransigent' is 'i'.
'made' with its final letter taken away is 'mad'.
'mad' going around 'i' is 'MAID'.
(Other definitions for maid that I've seen before include "Serving girl" , "Damsel" , "One in service" , "daughter?" , "- - -of-all-work" .)