'acetoacetate' originates from 'acetoacetic acid', specifically the word 'acetum', where 'acet-' meant 'vinegar' and '-ate' is a suffix used in chemistry to denote salts or esters.

'acetoacetic acid' changed from the Latin word 'acetum' meaning 'vinegar' and eventually became the modern English word 'acetoacetate'.

Initially, it meant 'a compound related to vinegar', but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'a salt or ester of acetoacetic acid'.