Debauched king was first to embrace tot (7)
I believe the answer is:
raddled
'debauched' is the definition.
Both the answer and definition are adjectives. Perhaps you can see an association between them that I can't see?
'king was first to embrace tot' is the wordplay.
'king' becomes 'R' (abbreviation for rex, king in Latin).
'was first' becomes 'led' (to lead is to go first).
'to embrace' indicates putting letters inside.
'tot' becomes 'add' (synonyms).
'r'+'led'='rled'
'rled' enclosing 'add' is 'RADDLED'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for raddled that I've seen before include "showing signs of age" , "Rouged - unkempt" , "Unkempt, untidy (appearance)" .)