Country ends appalling practice nowadays of accepted conventions (6)
I believe the answer is:
usages
'accepted conventions' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both acts as well as being plural nouns.
Perhaps there's an association between them I don't understand?
'country ends appalling practice nowadays' is the wordplay.
'country' becomes 'usa' (U.S.A. is an example**).
'ends' indicates one should take the final letters.
The last letters of 'appalling practice nowadays' are 'ges'.
'usa'+'ges'='USAGES'
'of' is the link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for usages that I've seen before include "Linguistic norms" , "Customs." , "Habitual practices with words" , "Customary treatments, practices" , "Habitual or customary practices" .)