We must probe company books for evidence of neglect (6)
I believe the answer is:
cobweb
'evidence of neglect' is the definition.
Although both the answer and definition are singular nouns, I cannot see how one could define the other.
'we must probe company books' is the wordplay.
'must probe' means one lot of letters goes inside another (probe can mean to poke or prod into).
'company' becomes 'co' (abbreviation).
'books' becomes 'BB' (two abbreviations for book).
'co'+'bb'='cobb'
'we' put inside 'cobb' is 'COBWEB'.
'for' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for cobweb that I've seen before include "Spider trap" , "Spider's net" , "Spider's flytrap" , "Filaments made by a spider" , "Feature of a dusty house - Shakespearean fairy" .)