Timber honour returned to city (5)
I believe the answer is:
ebony
'timber' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both human attributes as well as being singular nouns.
Maybe there's a link between them I don't understand?
'honour returned to city' is the wordplay.
'honour' becomes 'OBE' (Order of the British Empire).
'returned' says the letters should be written backwards.
'to city' becomes 'ny' (short for New York).
'obe' written backwards gives 'ebo'.
'ebo'+'ny'='EBONY'
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for ebony that I've seen before include "Material for key" , "'Hard, dark wood (5)'" , "Tree having black wood" , "Very dark brown" , "Hard wood used for black piano keys and in cabinetwork" .)