Left a carbon resin (3)

I believe the answer is:

lac

'resin' is the definition.
(resin secreted by lac insects)

'left a carbon' is the wordplay.
'left' becomes 'l' (common abbreviation).
'carbon' becomes 'C' (C is the chemical symbol for carbon).
'l'+'a'+'c'='LAC'

(Other definitions for lac that I've seen before include "Catalyst" , "Insect-produced resin" , "Huge sum" , "Natural product" , "Resinous substance an insect secretes" .)

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.

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