chrysalis

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: chrys=a=lis

CIDE DICTIONARY

chrysalis, n. [L. chrysallis the gold-colored pupa of butterflies, Gr. , fr. gold. Cf. Aurelia.].

 The pupa state of certain insects, esp. of butterflies, from which the perfect insect emerges. See Pupa, and Aurelia (a).  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

chrysalis, n. (pl. chrysalises or chrysalides)
1 a a quiescent pupa of a butterfly or moth. b the hard outer case enclosing it.
2 a preparatory or transitional state.

Etymology

L f. Gk khrusallis -idos f. khrusos gold

ROGET THESAURUS

chrysalis

Infant

N infant, babe, baby, babe in arms, nurseling, suckling, yearling, weanling, papoose, bambino, kid, vagitus, child, bairn, little one, brat, chit, pickaninny, urchin, bantling, bratling, elf, youth, boy, lad, stripling, youngster, youngun, younker, callant, whipster, whippersnapper, whiffet, schoolboy, hobbledehoy, hopeful, cadet, minor, master, scion, sap, seedling, tendril, olive branch, nestling, chicken, larva, chrysalis, tadpole, whelp, cub, pullet, fry, callow, codlin, codling, foetus, calf, colt, pup, foal, kitten, lamb, lambkin, aurelia, caterpillar, cocoon, nymph, nympha, orphan, pupa, staddle, girl, lass, lassie, wench, miss, damsel, demoiselle, maid, maiden, virgin, hoyden, infantine, infantile, puerile, boyish, girlish, childish, babyish, kittenish, baby, newborn, unfledged, new-fledged, callow, in the cradle, in swaddling clothes, in long clothes, in arms, in leading strings, at the breast, in one's teens.