Disorder where the soldiers eat (4)
I believe the answer is:
mess
'eat' is the definition.
(messing is a kind of eating)
I don't understand the remainder of the clue.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for mess that I've seen before include "Army dining place" , "Disorderly state" , "Where one might eat" , "An officer's untidy dining room" , "Untidy confusion" .)