Crossword Genius

Unadorned parts of wall are tiled over (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

literal

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'unadorned parts' is the definition.
Although both the answer and definition are singular nouns, I don't see how one could define the other.

'of wall are tiled over' is the wordplay.
'of' indicates a hidden word.
'over' is a reversal indicator.
'laretil' can be found hidden inside 'wall are tiled'.
'laretil' back-to-front is 'LITERAL'.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for literal that I've seen before include "According to the letter" , "Taking words in their most basic sense" , "Unimaginative" , "Simple" , "typographical error" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.