The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word RAYON
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
R
A
Y
O
N
More clues leading to the result RAYON
- Beam of light in contact with synthetic fabric
- Skirts of raffia, that fibre
- No lead in pencil? That’s material!
- Material colourful writer initially abandoned
- Colourful writer doesn’t start yarn
- 9 written by pencil without lid
- Second person briefly smuggled clothing material
- Material in drawer Conservative ignored
- Material in contact with supporting beam
- Fibre in unopened drawer
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "material" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case material = rayon.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 RAYON mean?
RAYON noun- A manufactured regenerated cellulosic fiber.
- An administrative unit of some Eastern European and Asian states.
- A ray or beam.