Saw a figure ahead (5)
I believe the answer is:
tenon
'saw' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
'a figure ahead' is the wordplay.
'a figure' becomes 'ten' (ten is a number).
'ahead' becomes 'on' (synonyms).
'ten'+'on'='TENON'
(Other definitions for tenon that I've seen before include "End of a piece of wood shaped to form a mortise joint" , "One projecting" , "Part of a wooden joint" , "Piece of wood that fits into a mortise" , "Outstanding" .)