One in burning heap we hear after five in the morning? (7)
I believe the answer is:
vampire
'one' is the definition.
Although both the answer and definition are singular nouns, I cannot understand how one could define the other.
'burning heap we hear after five in the morning?' is the wordplay.
'burning heap' becomes 'pyre' (I've seen this in another clue).
'we hear' shows a homophone (sound like).
'after' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'five' becomes 'V' (Roman numeral).
'in the morning?' becomes 'am' (short for ante meridiem - before noon).
'pyre' sounds like 'pire'.
'v'+'am'='vam'
'pire' after 'vam' is 'VAMPIRE'.
'in' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for vampire that I've seen before include "Bloodsucking creature" , "Type of bat" , "A blood-sucker like Dracula" , "Transylvanian bloodsucker" , "Member of the living dead, drinks blood" .)