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Painstaking
official
probing
birth
membrane
(7)
Painstaking official probing birth membrane (7)
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The definition is at the beginning of the clue.
How the clue works
The definition is Painstaking, meaning thorough and attentive. You've got REF (that's your official) tucked inside birth membrane — CAUL — to give you CA-REF-UL.