Tie up that Venetian character (4)
I believe the answer is:
moor
'tie up' is the definition.
(as in mooring a boat)
'venetian character' is the wordplay.
'venetian' becomes 'moo' (I can't explain this - if you can you should believe this answer much more).
'character' becomes 'r'.
'moo'+'r'='MOOR'
'that' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for moor that I've seen before include "Desolate area" , "Use ropes to secure" , "Open land - secure a boat - North African" , "Tether (a boat)" , "Heather-covered tract" .)