Crossword Genius

Male and others getting disease? Science is the answer (10)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

metallurgy

'science is the answer' is the definition.
I can't tell whether this definition defines the answer.

'male and others getting disease?' is the wordplay.
'male' becomes 'm' (common abbreviation).
'and others' becomes 'etal' (synonyms).
'getting' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'disease?' becomes 'lurgy' (lurgy can informally mean an illness).
'm'+'etal'+'lurgy'='METALLURGY'

(Other definitions for metallurgy that I've seen before include "Study of smelting, alloys, etc" , "Lead scientific study" , "Study of some elements" , "Science of smelting, alloys, etc" , "Branch of science" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
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