Crossword Genius

Having dished out in advance, kept (9)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

preserved

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'kept' is the definition.
('preserve' can be a synonym of 'keep')

'having dished out in advance' is the wordplay.
I cannot really understand how this works, but
'dished' could be 'served' ('serve' can be a synonym of 'dish') and 'served' is found in the answer.
'in advance' could be 'pre' (prefix meaning 'before') and 'pre' is present in the answer.
No letters remain.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for preserved that I've seen before include "Prevented from decay" , "Kept in an unaltered condition" , "Prevented from decaying or spoiling" , "Maintained in an unaltered condition" , "Kept safe from harm" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.