The hard, protective case in which a caterpillar transforms into a butterfly or moth. It’s the in‑between stage between larva and adult.
From Latin "chrysallis," from Greek "khrusallis," related to "khrusos" meaning "gold," because some butterfly cases looked shiny or golden. The word originally highlighted the beautiful, precious look of this stage.
A chrysalis isn’t just a sleeping bag; it’s more like a biological blender where the caterpillar partly dissolves and rebuilds itself. The word hinting at "gold" reminds us people have always seen this stage as something precious, not just gross bug stuff.
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