Drinks mat (7)
I believe the answer is:
coaster
'drinks mat' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
This is all the clue.
(Other definitions for coaster that I've seen before include "on which some mug may be made to stand?" , "It goes under a schooner, perhaps" , "Mat to protect a table" , "proceeds with little effort" , "Trading vessel" .)