Laurel traps a devil (5)
I believe the answer is:
satan
'devil' is the definition.
(synonyms)
'laurel traps a' is the wordplay.
'laurel' becomes 'stan' (comedian Stan Laurel is an example).
'traps' is an insertion indicator.
'stan' placed around 'a' is 'SATAN'.
(Other definitions for satan that I've seen before include "Fiend" , "Diabolical figure" , "Prince of Darkness" , "Fallen archangel" , "The devil, Beelzebub" .)