It has to be weighed before leaving (6)
I believe the answer is:
anchor
'it has to be weighed before leaving' is the definition.
The definition suggests a singular noun which matches the answer.
This is all the clue.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for anchor that I've seen before include "Ship's fluke" , "Device to keep ship in place" , "Brake for a boat" , "Device used to prevent vessel from drifting" , "Weigh down" .)