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

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

Lights shaped like chrysalises dangle from the tree column at the lobby bar. —Jennifer Kester, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2026

Its natural wooden structure provides shelter for butterflies in the rain and gives them a safe spot to make their chrysalises, too. —Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Mar. 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