What does the cryptic crossword clue "Most important king, perhaps, in a line (8)" mean?

The definition is "line". The wordplay uses a charade (building blocks). CARD (synonym="king,") + IN (literal="in") + A (abbreviation="a") + L (abbreviation="line") = CARDINAL; definition: "Most important" The answer is Cardinal.

Most important king, perhaps, in a line (8)

Telegraph Prize Cryptic #3016 | 18 Down | 2019-08-11 flower

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