Crossword Genius

Copper, say, has new mate left (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

metal

'copper say' is the definition.
(I know that copper is a type of metal)

'new mate left' is the wordplay.
'new' indicates an anagram.
'left' becomes 'l' (common abbreviation).
'mate' is an anagram of 'meta'.
'meta'+'l'='METAL'

'has' acts as a link.

(Other definitions for metal that I've seen before include "Intrinsic quality; stone for roads" , "Zirconium, for example" , "Copper possibly" , "Element eg for road or rail" , "Substance as gold, iron" .)

I've seen this clue in The Mirror.
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