chrys-

American  

1. variant of chryso- before a vowel.

   chryselephantine.

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Usage

What does chrys- mean? 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.