What old scholars often dipped into (7)
I believe the answer is:
inkwell
'what old' is the definition.
I can't tell whether this defines the answer.
'scholars often dipped into' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite see how this works, but
'scholars' could be 'll' (an abbreviation for lecturer written twice) and 'll' is located in the answer.
'into' could be 'in' and 'in' is found within the answer.
This explanation may well be incorrect...
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for inkwell that I've seen before include "It holds writing fluid" , "Reservoir for writing fluid" , "Container for writing fluid" , "Small pot for holding writing fluid" , "Writing fluid holder" .)