College only lost work (3)
I believe the answer is:
ply
'work' is the definition.
(thesaurus)
I can't explain the rest of the clue.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for ply that I've seen before include "carry on" , "This wood is laminated" , "Fold; thickness" , "Work steadily at the strand or layer" , "Use or wield, tool or weapon" .)