Husband dons dry fleece (5)
I believe the answer is:
shear
'fleece' is the definition.
(synonyms)
'husband dons dry' is the wordplay.
'husband' becomes 'h'.
'dons' is an insertion indicator (don means to wear or put on).
'dry' becomes 'sear' (similar in meaning).
'h' placed within 'sear' is 'SHEAR'.
(Other definitions for shear that I've seen before include "shave" , "Cut wool off (a sheep)" , "Fleece; cut" , "strain" , "Cutter" .)