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Under water, it takes a month to work! (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

octopus

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

'under water' is the definition.
Although both the answer and definition are singular nouns, I cannot understand how one could define the other.

'a month to work' is the wordplay.
'a month' becomes 'oct' (abbreviation for October).
'to work' becomes 'opus' (an opus is an artistic work).
'oct'+'opus'='OCTOPUS'

'it takes' is the link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for octopus that I've seen before include "Marine creature" , "Tentacled, shell-less mollusc" , "one finds, in the main" , "Sea creature with tentacles" , "Influential person" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.
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