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Daniel's half dead enemy? (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

defoe

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'daniel's' is the definition.
Both the answer and definition are singular nouns.
Maybe there's an association between them I don't understand?

'half dead enemy?' is the wordplay.
'half' means to take half the letters.
'enemy?' becomes 'foe' (synonyms).
'dead' halved is 'de'.
'de'+'foe'='DEFOE'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for defoe that I've seen before include "See 14" , "Daniel . . . . . wrote ''Robinson Crusoe'' (5)" , "Daniel, writer, d. 1731" , "Daniel ---, wrote Moll Flanders" , "Daniel -, Moll Flanders author" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.
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