French emblem mentioned by a British inventor (8)

I believe the answer is:

cockerel

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'french' is the definition.
Although both the answer and definition are singular nouns, I don't understand how they can define each other.

I don't understand how the rest of the clue works.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for cockerel that I've seen before include "Farm awakener" , "Young rooster" , "Young domestic male fowl" , "Young domestic cock" , "Farmyard bird" .)

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