Palace ordered hemline to be below end of thumb (8)
I believe the answer is:
blenheim
'palace' is the definition.
Although both the answer and definition are singular nouns, I don't understand how they can define each other.
'ordered hemline to be below end of thumb' is the wordplay.
'ordered' is an anagram indicator.
'to be below' says to put letters next to each other (in a down clue, some letters go below others).
'end of' suggests the final letters.
The last letter of 'thumb' is 'b'.
'hemline' with letters rearranged gives 'lenheim'.
'lenheim' after 'b' is 'BLENHEIM'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for blenheim that I've seen before include "Palace near Oxford" , "Stately home at Woodstock" , "dog" , "1704 battle; - - palace" , "Duke of Marlborough's pile" .)