chrysalis

noun

chrys·​a·​lis ˈkri-sə-ləs 

plural chrysalides kri-ˈsa-lə-ˌdēz  or chrysalises

1

a

: a pupa of a butterfly

broadly : an insect pupa

b

: the hardened outer protective layer of a pupa

2

: a protecting covering

also : a sheltered state or stage of being or growth

… a budding writer could not emerge from his chrysalis too soon.

—William Du Bois

Illustration of chrysalis

• chrysalis 1

Examples of chrysalis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The boy debates the merit of each name: on the one hand, chrysalides are green and hard and prone to explode in riots of incandescence; on the other, parrots are green, loud, and obnoxious. —Beth Bachmann, The New Yorker, 25 July 2024

After the larval stage, the caterpillar forms a chrysalis in a sheltered location. —Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 12 July 2024

Feeling like a butterfly morphing in its chrysalis? —USA TODAY, 27 May 2024

In longevity, there is not going to be a moment when a chrysalis bursts and a butterfly flies out, Miller said, a sudden leap forward in people’s life expectancy. —Jacob Sweet, Vox, 8 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin chrȳsallid-, chrȳsallis, borrowed from Greek chrȳsallid-, chrȳsallís, from chrȳsós "gold" (referring to the metallic gold-like sheen of some butterfly pupae) + -allid-, -allis, noun suffix of some plant and animal names — more at chryso-

First Known Use

1601, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

chrysalis

noun

chrys·​a·​lis ˈkris-ə-ləs 

plural chrysalides kris-ˈal-ə-ˌdēz  or chrysalises

ˈkris-ə-lə-səz

: the pupa of a butterfly or moth

also : the hardened outer layer of such a pupa compare cocoon sense 1