Son has one meal after another, then seconds, showing determination (10)
I believe the answer is:
steadiness
'determination' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both human attributes as well as being singular nouns.
Perhaps there's an association between them I don't understand?
'son has one meal after another then seconds' is the wordplay.
'son' becomes 'ss' (I've seen this in other clues).
'has' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'one meal' becomes 'tea' (tea is a type of meal).
'after another then seconds' becomes 'dines' (I am not sure about this - if you are sure you should believe this answer much more).
'tea'+'dines'='teadines'
'ss' enclosing 'teadines' is 'STEADINESS'.
'showing' is the link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for steadiness that I've seen before include "sobriety" , "Being sober" .)