Crossword Genius

Material to stop a snake in its tracks? (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

asphalt

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

'material' is the definition.
(I know that asphalt is a type of material)

'stop a snake in its tracks?' is the wordplay.
I cannot really see how this works, but
'stop' could be 'halt' (halt can mean to stop) and 'halt' is present in the answer.
'a' is found in the answer.
This may be the basis of the clue (or it may be nonsense).

'to' acts as a link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for asphalt that I've seen before include "Road-surfacing material" , "Road-building material" , "What you see on roads" , "Mixture of tar and gravel used in road surfaces" , "Bituminous material for roofing, paths etc" .)

I've seen this clue in The Irish News.
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