Chrysalis, e.g. (4)

I believe the answer is:

pupa

(Other definitions for pupa that I've seen before include "middle stage" , "Pre-adult insect or chrysalis" , "So peacock may have appeared" , "Phase of insect life" , "Developing butterfly" .)

I've seen this clue in The Wall Street Journal.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.