Definition of "chrysalis" [chrys•a•lis]

• A pupa, especially of a moth or butterfly, enclosed in a firm case or cocoon. (noun)
• A protected stage of development. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "As soon as it is grown big enough and fat enough, the grub hangs itself up as a "chrysalis" which is a Greek word that may be freely rendered into "golden jewel.""
• "The chrysalis is what the silkworm becomes when it finishes spinning its cocoon."
• "We also never hear the word chrysalis without thinking of Miss Waterman."