Piece of nice dark timber (5)
I believe the answer is:
cedar
'piece' is the definition.
Although both the answer and definition are singular nouns, I cannot understand how they can define each other.
'of nice dark timber' is the wordplay.
'of' says the answer is hidden in the clue.
'CEDAR' is hidden in the letters of 'nice dark timber'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for cedar that I've seen before include "Leaving body" , "Fragrant conifer" , "Raced around noble tree" , "Tree (Lebanese?)" , "representative of Lebanon?" .)