See detective operate chopper (8)
I believe the answer is:
woodsman
'chopper' is the definition.
Although both the answer and definition are singular nouns, I don't understand how they can define each other.
'see detective operate' is the wordplay.
'see detective' becomes 'woods' (I can't explain this - if you can you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'operate' becomes 'man' (both can mean to work or oversee something).
'woods'+'man'='WOODSMAN'
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for woodsman that I've seen before include "elder worker, perhaps?" , "outdoorsy type" , "He lives in the forest" .)