The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word LISLE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
L
I
S
L
E
More clues leading to the result LISLE
- Fabric’s length: an inch under
- Thread holding large key
- Vehicle leaves NW city to get fabric
- Cotton wool is lethal to some extent
- Car leaves Cumbrian city, getting strong cotton fabric
- Fabric in shawl is Lebanese
- Fine fabric in transport leaving Cumbrian town
- Material used in trial is legal
- Yarn in which car is destroyed in northern city
- Some material is leathery material
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "strong cotton fabric" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case strong cotton fabric = lisle.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 LISLE mean?
LISLE noun- A type of strong cotton thread, or a cloth woven from such thread.