Was the first time and one took a good look round it (7)
I believe the answer is:
started
'was the' is the definition.
I can't tell whether this definition defines the answer.
'first time and one took a good look round it' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite understand how this works, but
'first' could be 'start' (synonyms) and 'start' is located in the answer.
'it' could be 'e' ('e' can mean 'electronic' which is similar to 'IT') and 'e' is present in the answer.
A single letter 'd' remains which might be clued in a way I don't see.
This may be the basis of the clue (or it may be nonsense).
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for started that I've seen before include "Originated" , "Began; flinched" , "Made sudden movement from pain or surprise" , "showed surprise" , "kicked-off" .)