Irish playwright admits ruin, oddly, in pointed item (7)
I believe the answer is:
syringe
'pointed item' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both man-made objects as well as being singular nouns.
Maybe there's an association between them I don't understand?
'irish playwright admits ruin oddly' is the wordplay.
'irish playwright' becomes 'synge' (I've seen this in another clue).
'admits' means one lot of letters goes inside another (to admit is to allow in).
'oddly' indicates alternate letters (letters in the odd-numbered positions are used).
The alternate letters of 'ruin' are 'ri'.
'synge' going around 'ri' is 'SYRINGE'.
'in' is the link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for syringe that I've seen before include "Instrument for injecting fluids" , "Means of injection" , "Injection deliverer" , "Injection tool" , "fluid extractor" .)