Cryptic crossword clue
Fabric, mostly repulsive, with appearance of wood

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word GROSGRAIN

I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Fabric" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case fabric = grosgrain.
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 GROSGRAIN mean?

GROSGRAIN noun
  1. A silk fabric having narrow, horizontal ribs.
  2. A close-woven fabric (usually made from silk or rayon) having narrow horizontal ribs.
  3. A ribbon made of this fabric.

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