Rotter makes cheap dish when owing money in America (4)
I believe the answer is:
toad
'rotter' is the definition.
Although both the answer and definition are singular nouns, I can't see how one could define the other.
'cheap dish when owing money in america' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite see how this works, but
'america' could be 'a' (common abbreviation eg in USA) and 'a' is found within the answer.
The remaining letters 'tod' is a valid word which might be clued in a way I don't understand.
This explanation may well be incorrect...
'makes' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for toad that I've seen before include "Froglike animal or repulsive person" , "Wind in Willows motorist" , "Loathsome creature" , "Dangerous driver" , "Ancestral hall on River Bank" .)