English vocabulary · C1
Chrysalis
ˈkrɪsələs · n.
It means a hard shell where an insect changes. Inside, the body fully breaks down and builds into something new.
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Example sentences
- She left her old life and entered a chrysalis of change.
- He came out of his chrysalis a different person.
Word origin and roots
from Greek
- khrusos — gold (from Greek)
Synonyms and nuances
- COCOON (wrapped for warmth and protection)
- SHELL (a hard outer layer protects inside)
- CASE (a container holds something fragile)
Words with the same root
khrusos — gold
- chrysanthemum — a flower literally named golden flower in Greek — khrusos (gold) + anthemon (flower)
Lesson notes
Chrysalis. It means a hard shell where an insect changes. Inside, the body fully breaks down and builds into something new.
Similar words are cocoon, shell, and case. Use chrysalis when a living thing is quietly changing inside.
She left her old life and entered a chrysalis of change. He came out of his chrysalis a different person.
From Greek. Khrusos means gold. A gold shell that holds a changing body — that is a chrysalis.