Design Immelmann turns, protecting reputedly suicidal individual (7)
I believe the answer is:
lemming
'reputedly suicidal individual' is the definition.
Although both the answer and definition are singular nouns, I don't understand how they can define each other.
'design immelmann turns protecting' is the wordplay.
'protecting' indicates the answer is hidden within the clue.
'turns' shows that the letters should be reversed in order.
'gnimmel' is hidden within 'design immelmann'.
'gnimmel' in reverse letter order is 'LEMMING'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for lemming that I've seen before include "Arctic rodent; one going blind to disaster" , "Northern rodent" , "Supposedly suicidal animal" , "Rodent renowned for mass migration" , "Rodent related to the vole" .)