Means to pursue Leo, perhaps, with essentially gay abandon (4,4)

'abandon' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both to do with ownership as well as being verbs in their base form.
Maybe they are linked in a way I don't understand?

'means to pursue leo perhaps with essentially gay' is the wordplay.
'means' becomes 'way' (a way or means of doing something).
'to pursue' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'leo perhaps' becomes 'sign' (leo is a kind of sign).
'with' says to put letters next to each other.
'essentially' indicates the central letters.
The centre of 'gay' is 'a'.
'sign'+'a'='signa'
'way' put after 'signa' is 'SIGN AWAY'.

Can you help me to learn more?