Indicate nothing in lute performance (7)
I believe the answer is:
outline
'indicate' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both to do with communicating as well as being verbs in their base form.
Perhaps there's an association between them I don't understand?
'nothing in lute performance' is the wordplay.
'nothing' becomes 'O' (looks like zero - 0).
'performance' indicates anagramming the letters.
'in'+'lute'='inlute'
'inlute' anagrammed gives 'utline'.
'o'+'utline'='OUTLINE'
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for outline that I've seen before include "Synopsis -- silhouette" , "Possibly tracing" , "(Give) schematic account" , "Profile" , "Draft plan - indicator of shape" .)