Retrieved small copper dropped in grass? (7)
I believe the answer is:
rescued
'retrieved' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both to do with ownership as well as being past participle verbs.
Perhaps you can see an association between them that I can't see?
'small copper dropped in grass?' is the wordplay.
'small' becomes 's' (abbreviation - e.g. clothes size).
'copper' becomes 'Cu' (chemical symbol).
'dropped in' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'grass?' becomes 'reed' (type of grass plant).
's'+'cu'='scu'
'scu' placed inside 'reed' is 'RESCUED'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for rescued that I've seen before include "Delivered from danger" , "Extricated" , "Saved (from danger)" , "set free" , "Secured (anag.)" .)