What does the cryptic crossword clue "Senior servant still essentially alert (6)" mean?

The definition is "Senior servant". The wordplay uses a charade (building blocks). BUT (synonym="still = even so, as in “It’s not good – still, it could be worse”") + LER (synonym="LER") = BUTLER; definition: "Senior servant" The answer is BUTLER.

Senior servant still essentially alert (6)

Independent Cryptic #11843 | 24 Down | 2024-09-24 flower

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