Employs some house servants (4)

I believe the answer is:

uses

'employs' is the definition.
('use' can be a synonym of 'employ')

'some house servants' is the wordplay.
'some' indicates a hidden word (some of the parts of the word are used).
'USES' is hidden within 'house servants'.

(Other definitions for uses that I've seen before include "Customs" , "Sues (anag.)" , "Purposes; consumes" , "Utilises" , "Consumes; treats" .)

I've seen this clue in The Everyman puzzle in The Observer.

Want a hint initially instead of a full solution? Install my app