Model husband home raising family (8)
I believe the answer is:
mannikin
'model' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both man-made objects as well as being singular nouns.
Perhaps there's a link between them I don't understand?
'husband home raising family' is the wordplay.
'husband' becomes 'man' (I can't explain this - if you can you should believe this answer much more).
'home' becomes 'in' ('he's home' can mean 'he's in').
'raising' shows that the letters should be reversed in order.
'family' becomes 'kin' ('kin' can be a synonym of 'family').
'in' reversed gives 'ni'.
'man'+'ni'+'kin'='MANNIKIN'
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for mannikin that I've seen before include "Anatomical model - dwarf - child" , "Little chap" , "Clothes dummy" , "minor fellow" .)