The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 letter word TALC
I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
T
A
L
C
More clues leading to the result TALC
- It is used in postnatal care
- Cheers sources of light comedy — it’s soft stuff
- Powder stored in metal cupboard
- Mineral kept by that alchemist
- Mineral in metal container
- Sample of crystal clear powder
- Short story about powdered mineral
- Tender loving care protects area, using this?
- Care and affection boxing a cosmetic product
- Mineral captured by digital camera
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "powder" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case powder = talc.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 TALC mean?
TALC noun- Originally a large range of transparent or glistening foliated minerals. Examples include mica, selenite and the hydrated magnesium silicate that the term talc generally has referred to in modern times (see below). Also an item made of such a mineral and depending for its function on the special nature of the mineral (see next). Mediaeval writers adopted the term from the Arabic.
- A microscope slide made of a plate of mica, generally in use from the start of modern microscopy until the early nineteenth century, after which glass slides became the standard medium.
- A soft mineral, composed of hydrated magnesium silicate, that has a soapy feel and a greenish, whitish, or grayish color, and usually occurs in foliated masses.
- Talcum powder.
- To apply talc to.