Meaning & use
chrysalis
The hard protective casing surrounding a butterfly or moth pupa as it transforms into an adult insect.
See it in a sentence
The caterpillar formed a chrysalis on the underside of a leaf before becoming a butterfly.
We watched the chrysalis crack open as the monarch butterfly slowly emerged.
A note on using this word
The plural can be either 'chrysalises' or the more classical 'chrysalides'; both are accepted in standard English.
Words with a similar meaning
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