Sets aside Tom's battlescars? (8)
I believe the answer is:
earmarks
'sets aside' is the definition.
('earmark' can be a synonym of 'set aside')
I cannot understand how the remainder of the clue works.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for earmarks that I've seen before include "Allocates; reserves" , "Sets aside, reserves" , "Identifies" , "Characteristic features" , "Sets aside for particular purpose in aural way" .)