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 DuBois

Illustration of chrysalis

• chrysalis 1

Examples of chrysalis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Olds describes her physical movements as twisting from a chrysalis, an image of pain and rebirth. — Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026

Signs of tachinid activity include lifeless caterpillars or thin, brown chrysalises, sometimes with silk threads indicating larval emergence. — Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 July 2026

Buffalo Bills The first two minutes of the four-minute video was a drag, but Josh Allen’s idea midway through about a giant chrysalis was actually not terrible. — Jayna Bardahl, New York Times, 15 May 2026

Visitors can witness the metamorphosis process in the Emergence Gallery, where live chrysalises transform into butterflies. — Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 8 May 2026

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