Treatable bum ulcer lanced by sailor (7)
I believe the answer is:
curable
'treatable' is the definition.
Both the definition and answer are adjectives.
Maybe there's a link between them I don't understand?
'bum ulcer lanced by sailor' is the wordplay.
'bum' is an anagram indicator (bum can mean faulty or wrong).
'lanced by' means one lot of letters goes inside another (some letters cut or lance into others).
'sailor' becomes 'ab' (abbreviation for able seaman).
'ulcer' with letters rearranged gives 'curle'.
'curle' placed around 'ab' is 'CURABLE'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for curable that I've seen before include "Responsive to treatment" , "suitable for smoking?" , "Able to be made healthy" .)