Don cape before a dance, leading lady love (9)
I believe the answer is:
caballero
'don' is the definition.
Both the definition and answer are singular nouns.
Maybe they are linked in a way I don't understand?
'cape before a dance leading lady love' is the wordplay.
'cape' becomes 'c' (abbreviation used on maps).
'before' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'dance' becomes 'ball' (ball is a kind of dance).
'leading lady' becomes 'ER' (Elizabeth Regina).
'love' becomes 'o' (love means zero in tennis).
'c'+'a'+'ball'+'er'+'o'='CABALLERO'
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for caballero that I've seen before include "Spanish gentleman" , "Foreign gentleman" , "Spanish gent" , "Horseman" , "Bear local away for Spanish cavalier" .)