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 pupa
2 : 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]