Beaten in a material sense (7)
I believe the answer is:
worsted
'beaten' is the definition.
(worsting is a kind of beating)
I cannot understand how the remainder of the clue works.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for worsted that I've seen before include "taken to the cleaners" , "Beat" , "Fabric made from fine smooth wool yarn" , "Wiped the floor with" , "sort of suit?" .)