Started with a sailor (3)
I believe the answer is:
tar
'a sailor' is the definition.
(tar is a kind of sailor)
'started with' is the wordplay.
'with' indicates a hidden word.
'TAR' can be found hidden inside 'started'.
(Other definitions for tar that I've seen before include "Sailor (colloq.)" , "Thick flammable liquid" , "Slang sailor or road surfacing material" , "Dark viscous flammable substance" , "Smoker's black deposit" .)