Teacher digesting trashy paper, a formidable type (6)
I believe the answer is:
dragon
'a formidable type' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both people as well as being singular nouns.
Maybe they are linked in a way I don't understand?
'teacher digesting trashy paper' is the wordplay.
'teacher' becomes 'don' (don can mean an academic - especially at Oxbridge).
'digesting' is an insertion indicator (inserted letters are eaten or ingested).
'trashy paper' becomes 'rag' (rag can mean a newspaper. I am not sure about the 'trashy' bit.).
'don' going around 'rag' is 'DRAGON'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for dragon that I've seen before include "Fierce woman" , "Monster - type of fly" , "Mythological fire-breathing creature" , "Legendary fire-breather" , "Fail tediously to conclude" .)