### Clue: Spongy dessert knight tucks into after sailor (9)
### Answer: ABSORBENT 
 ### Explanation: Definition: Spongy
 [SORBET(a frozen dessert of flavoured water) **containing**(… tucks into) N(abbrev. for "knight", a piece in chess)] **placed after**(after) AB(abbrev. for "able-bodied sailor").