Wanda appears pale at first (3)

I believe the answer is:

wan

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

'pale at first' is the definition.
'wan' can be an answer for 'pale' (wan can mean pale or grey). I am not certain of the 'at first' bit.

I cannot understand how the rest of the clue works.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for wan that I've seen before include "Faint" , "Pale from sickness" , "Blanched" , "Pale and weak-looking" , "Pale and ill-looking" .)

I've seen this clue in The Irish 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.