Soft material in Oriental carpets (4)

I believe the answer is:

talc

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'soft material' is the definition.
'talc' can be an answer for 'material' (talc is a kind of material). I am not sure about the 'soft' bit.

'in oriental carpets' is the wordplay.
'in' indicates the answer is hidden within the clue.
'TALC' can be found hidden inside 'oriental carpets'.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for talc that I've seen before include "White powder for the bathroom" , "After-bath powder" , "Bathroom dusting powder" , "Powdered mineral" , "Fine powder" .)

I've seen this clue in the Irish Times.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.