Paid back by tabloid when in the royal photographer's control (9)
I believe the answer is:
diaphragm
'photographer's control' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both man-made objects as well as being singular nouns.
Perhaps there's an association between them I don't understand?
'paid back by tabloid when in the royal' is the wordplay.
'back' says the letters should be written backwards.
'by' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'tabloid' becomes 'rag' (informal term for a tabloid newspaper).
'when in' indicates putting letters inside.
'the royal' becomes 'hm' (His or Her Majesty).
'paid' backwards is 'diap'.
'rag' put within 'hm' is 'hragm'.
'diap'+'hragm'='DIAPHRAGM'
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for diaphragm that I've seen before include "Thin dividing membrane" , "Flexible membrane" , "Midriff" , "It separates the thorax from the abdomen" , "Partition between thorax and abdomen" .)