I tear into outlaw (7)
I believe the answer is:
brendan
'i' is the definition.
Both the definition and answer are singular nouns.
Maybe they are linked in a way I don't understand?
'tear into outlaw' is the wordplay.
'tear' becomes 'rend' (rending is a kind of tearing).
'into' is an insertion indicator.
'outlaw' becomes 'ban' (banning is a kind of outlawing).
'rend' put inside 'ban' is 'BRENDAN'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for brendan that I've seen before include "- Behan, Irish dramatist" , "Early Irish saint" , "Chap" , "-- Behan, Irish author" .)