Digging Eastern illustrations around hotel (9)
I believe the answer is:
earthwork
'digging' is the definition.
Although both the answer and definition are singular nouns, I cannot understand how one could define the other.
'eastern illustrations around hotel' is the wordplay.
'eastern' becomes 'e'.
'illustrations' becomes 'artwork' (I've seen this in another clue).
'around' is an insertion indicator.
'hotel' becomes 'h' (phonetic alphabet: alpha, bravo, charlie etc.).
'artwork' enclosing 'h' is 'arthwork'.
'e'+'arthwork'='EARTHWORK'
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for earthwork that I've seen before include "Large artificial soil bank" , "Rampart made of soil" , "Bank made to defend" , "Defensive bank of soil" , "Banking" .)