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Meal encapsulating a flat opening event? (6,3)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

launch pad

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'opening event?' is the definition.
Although both the answer and definition are singular nouns, I don't see how they can define each other.

'meal encapsulating a flat' is the wordplay.
'meal' becomes 'lunch' (lunch is a kind of meal).
'encapsulating' means one lot of letters goes inside another (inserted letters are absorbed or encapsulated).
'flat' becomes 'pad' (a person's home).
'lunch' enclosing 'a' is 'launch'.
'launch'+'pad'='LAUNCH-PAD'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for launch pad that I've seen before include "explorer's starting place" , "Good place to begin" , "Structure on which a rocket sits" , "Rocket's starting point" , "platform" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
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