chrysalis

[kris-uh-lis]

See more synonyms for chrysalis on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural chrys·a·lis·es, chry·sal·i·des

[kri-sal-i-deez] /krɪˈsæl ɪˌdiz/.

the hard-shelled pupa of a moth or butterfly; an obtect pupa.

Origin of chrysalis

1650–60; < Latin chrȳsalis < Greek chrȳsallís, equivalent to chrȳs- chrys- + -allis suffix, probably with diminutive value

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for chrysalis

evolution, advancement, expansion, improvement, increase, progress, maturity, progression, addition, reinforcement, enlargement, augmentation, hike, flowering, advance, boost, buildup, spread, adulthood, developing

Examples from the Web for chrysalis

Contemporary Examples of chrysalis

Chrysalis, a new line of lingerie, aims to create undergarments for transgender women.
Introducing the First Lingerie Line for Transgender Women
Claire Stern
February 5, 2013

Historical Examples of chrysalis

I hate musical people; that is, when in the chrysalis state of learning.
Punchinello, Vol. 1, No. 2, April 9, 1870
Various
Hers were ice cold—but inside they tingled and glowed, like a worm of fire in a chrysalis of ice.
The Incomplete Amorist
E. Nesbit
The caterpillar and the chrysalis belong to the embryonic period.
The Sexual Question
August Forel
He struck the only thing within his reach, the chrysalis case itself.
"Wee Tim'rous Beasties"
Douglas English
Childhood is a chrysalis from which each must extricate himself.
Fantasia of the Unconscious
D. H. Lawrence

British Dictionary definitions for chrysalis

chrysalis

noun plural chrysalises or chrysalides (krɪˈsælɪˌdiːz)

the obtect pupa of a moth or butterfly
anything in the process of developing

Word Origin for chrysalis

C17: from Latin chrӯsallis, from Greek khrusallis, from khrusos gold, of Semitic origin; compare Hebrew harūz gold

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for chrysalis

c.1600, from Latin chrysallis, from Greek khrysallis (genitive khrysallidos) "golden colored pupa of the butterfly," from khrysos "gold," perhaps of Semitic origin (cf. Hebrew and Phoenician harutz "gold") + second element meaning something like "sheath." Seeking a plural, OED leans toward the classically correct chrysalides.

chrysalis in Science

chrysalis

[krĭs′ə-lĭs]

The pupa of certain kinds of insects, especially of moths and butterflies, that is inactive and enclosed in a firm case or cocoon from which the adult eventually emerges.
The case or cocoon of a chrysalis.