Main Entry:

chrys·a·lis

Pronunciation:

\ˈkri-sə-ləs\

Function:

noun

Inflected Form(s):

plural chry·sal·i·des \kri-ˈsa-lə-ˌdēz\ or chrys·a·lis·es

Etymology:

Latin chrysallid-, chrysallis gold-colored pupa of butterflies, from Greek, from chrysos gold, of Semitic origin; akin to Hebrew ḥārūṣ gold

Date:

1601

1 a: a pupa of a butterfly ; broadly : an insect pupa b: the enclosing case or covering of a pupa2: a protecting covering : a sheltered state or stage of being or growth <a budding writer could not emerge from his chrysalis too soon — William Du Bois>

[chrysalis illustration]