Left work in dock (3)
I believe the answer is:
lop
'dock' is the definition.
(both can mean to cut)
'left work' is the wordplay.
'left' becomes 'l' (common abbreviation).
'work' becomes 'op' (abbreviation for opus).
'l'+'op'='LOP'
'in' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for lop that I've seen before include "Hack" , "Cut away branches or twigs" , "Remove branches from a tree" , "Cut (e.g. branch off)" , "Cut off, tree branches say" .)