chrys-

Chrys- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “gold” and sometimes applied to various greenish hues. It is often used in medical and scientific terms, including in mineralogy.

Chrys- comes from the Greek chrȳsós, meaning “gold.” The Greek chrȳsós also helped form the word chrȳsallís, source of the word chrysalis. A chrysalis is the hard-shelled pupa of a moth or butterfly, so named because some pupae can have a goldish sheen.

Chrys- is a variant of chryso-, which loses its -o– when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels.

Want to know more? Read our Words That Use chryso- article.

Chrysanthemum are a type of flower that come in a wide array of colors.

The word comes from the Greek chrȳsánthemon, which uses the Greek equivalent of chrys-, “gold,” and  ánthemon, “flower.” So, chrysanthemum is literally a “gold flower.” Beautiful!

What are some words that use the combining form chrys-?

• chrysarobin
• chryselephantine
• chrysiasis

What are some other forms that chrys- may be commonly confused with?

• Christo-
• chondr-
• chylo-
• crystall-

Some ancient Greek sculptures are described as chryselephantine. This means they were overlaid with two valuable materials: ivory (denoted by elephantine) and, based on the meaning of chrys-, what precious metal?