Cryptic crossword clue
Black stuff with core of soft or hard material 5

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word COPAL

I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
C
O
P
A
L

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "hard material" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case hard material = copal.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does COPAL mean?

COPAL noun
  1. A resinous exudation from various tropical trees, especially Hymenaea courbaril and Schinus terebinthifolia, used chiefly in making varnishes and printing ink.

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