Crossword Genius

Preen Oscar for university ball (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

dollop

'ball' is the definition.
(a dollop is a ball or blob of something)

I cannot understand how the rest of the clue works.

(Other definitions for dollop that I've seen before include "serving food, perhaps" , "Shapeless mass of soft food" , "Squidgy lump (of food)" , "Rough lump" , "Semisolid lump" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.