Fruit black and dead (5)
I believe the answer is:
plumb
'dead' is the definition.
('plumb' can be a synonym of 'dead')
'fruit black' is the wordplay.
'fruit' becomes 'plum' (plum is a kind of fruit).
'black' becomes 'b' (as in pencil classifications).
'plum'+'b'='PLUMB'
'and' is the link.
(Other definitions for plumb that I've seen before include "Fathom - out-and-out" , "Precisely" , "Lead weight; exactly" , "Exactly - perpendicular" , "Going straight up and down" .)