Habit of French writer to disavow absorbing chapter (10)
I believe the answer is:
dependency
'habit' is the definition.
Although both the answer and definition are singular nouns, I don't understand how they can define each other.
'of french writer to disavow absorbing chapter' is the wordplay.
'of french' becomes 'de' ('of' in French).
'writer' becomes 'pen' (something which writes).
'to disavow' becomes 'deny' (I've seen this in another clue).
'absorbing' indicates putting letters inside.
'chapter' becomes 'c' (abbreviation).
'deny' placed around 'c' is 'dency'.
'de'+'pen'+'dency'='DEPENDENCY'
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for dependency that I've seen before include "like Ross's to New Zealand?" , "Addiction" , "Country controlled by another" .)