What does the cryptic crossword clue "A river is a beauty (6)" mean?

The definition is "beauty". The wordplay uses a charade (building blocks). A (abbreviation="A") + DON (synonym="river") + IS (literal="is") = ADONIS; definition: "a beauty" The answer is Adonis.

A river is a beauty (6)

Telegraph Prize Cryptic #3041 | 11 Across | 2020-02-02 flower

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