Illustration of chrysalis
- chrysalis 1
chrysalis
noun
chrys·a·lis ˈkri-sə-ləs 
plural chrysalides kri-ˈsa-lə-ˌdēz or chrysalises
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 Du Bois
William Du Bois 
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Now, with the premiere on Saturday here at Santa Fe Opera of an adaptation by the composer Huang Ruo, with a libretto by David Henry Hwang, the play’s author, the butterfly has returned to its operatic chrysalis. New York Times, 1 Aug. 2022 In nature, a chrysalis typically contains the makings of just one new butterfly. San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Apr. 2022 One late summer day, a monarch butterfly crawled from its chrysalis in a suburban Maryland garden, stretched open two orange wings to dry in the sun and took flight. Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2022 Now, scientists at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a way to peek inside of a butterfly's chrysalis and record in real-time how these scales develop from start to finish, reports Hannah Seo for Popular Science. Elizabeth Gamillo, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Dec. 2021 For the first time ever, MIT researchers peered into a chrysalis while the colorful scales on a butterfly wing formed—and captured continuous images of the process, according to a study published this month in the journal PNAS. Rachael Lallensack, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Dec. 2021 For curious children, the thrills of wandering among the show’s blossoms and greenery include seeing these free-flying international travelers alight on an outstretched hand or emerge from a chrysalis. New York Times, 25 Nov. 2021 Students in dark suits, who had spent the summer in the corporate chrysalis of banks and consulting firms, rushed ahead. Alexandra Schwartz, The New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2021 This is the best time also to witness butterflies emerging from their chrysalis. Jim Dobson, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2021 See More
New York Times, 1 Aug. 2022 In nature, a chrysalis typically contains the makings of just one new butterfly. San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Apr. 2022 One late summer day, a monarch butterfly crawled from its chrysalis in a suburban Maryland garden, stretched open two orange wings to dry in the sun and took flight. Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2022 Now, scientists at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a way to peek inside of a butterfly's chrysalis and record in real-time how these scales develop from start to finish, reports Hannah Seo for Popular Science. Elizabeth Gamillo, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Dec. 2021 For the first time ever, MIT researchers peered into a chrysalis while the colorful scales on a butterfly wing formed—and captured continuous images of the process, according to a study published this month in the journal PNAS. Rachael Lallensack, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Dec. 2021 For curious children, the thrills of wandering among the show’s blossoms and greenery include seeing these free-flying international travelers alight on an outstretched hand or emerge from a chrysalis. New York Times, 25 Nov. 2021 Students in dark suits, who had spent the summer in the corporate chrysalis of banks and consulting firms, rushed ahead. Alexandra Schwartz, The New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2021 This is the best time also to witness butterflies emerging from their chrysalis. Jim Dobson, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2021 See More 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
1
: a moth or butterfly pupa that is enclosed in a hardened protective case
2
: the hardened protective case made by and enclosing a moth or butterfly pupa