Dancing girl to preserve returned date catalogue (7)
I believe the answer is:
almanac
'date catalogue' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both related to communication as well as being singular nouns.
Maybe you can see an association between them that I don't see?
'dancing girl to preserve returned' is the wordplay.
'dancing girl' becomes 'alma' (I've seen this before).
'to preserve' becomes 'can' (canning is a kind of preserving).
'returned' says the letters should be written backwards.
'can' backwards is 'nac'.
'alma'+'nac'='ALMANAC'
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for almanac that I've seen before include "Register" , "Annual calendar of events" , "source of information" , "Annual publication giving dates of astronomical and other events" , "Annual publication with mixed data, forecasts etc." .)