Content with half the apples, relaxed (8)
I believe the answer is:
appeased
'content' is the definition.
The answer and definition are not the same part of speech. However, past participle verbs and adjectives occasionally define each other.
'with half the apples relaxed' is the wordplay.
'with' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'half the' indicates taking half.
'relaxed' becomes 'eased' (I've seen this before).
'apples' cut in half is 'app'.
'app'+'eased' is 'APPEASED'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for appeased that I've seen before include "Calmed" , "Placated, pacified" , "Conciliated" , "Assuaged, mollified" , "Changed a deep sap and mollified" .)