Silver, for example, can start to tarnish (4)
I believe the answer is:
tint
'silver for example' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both human attributes as well as being singular nouns.
Maybe they are linked in a way I don't understand?
'can start to tarnish' is the wordplay.
'can' becomes 'tin' ('tin' can be a synonym of 'can').
'start to' indicates taking the first letters.
The first letter of 'tarnish' is 't'.
'tin'+'t'='TINT'
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for tint that I've seen before include "work for coiffeuse?" , "(Softer variety of) colour" , "Quality of colour" , "A slight shade of colour" , "Hue, shade" .)