Crossword Genius

Card table that's not large adjusted in a tick (9)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

heartbeat

'tick' is the definition.
(I know that tick can be written as heartbeat)

'card table that's not large adjusted' is the wordplay.
'card' becomes 'heart' (the hearts are a playing card suit).
'that's not' suggests deleting specific letters (that has not).
'large' becomes 'L' (eg in clothes sizes).
'adjusted' indicates an anagram.
'table' with 'l' taken out is 'tabe'.
'tabe' with letters rearranged gives 'beat'.
'heart'+'beat'='HEARTBEAT'

'in a' is the link.

(Other definitions for heartbeat that I've seen before include "Pulse of cardiac origin" , "Essential pulsation" , "Circulation noise" , "Animating force" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
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