'adipocerous' originates from the Latin word 'adeps' meaning 'fat' and 'cera' meaning 'wax'.

'adeps' and 'cera' combined to form the term 'adipocere' in the 18th century, which eventually led to the adjective 'adipocerous'.

Initially, it referred specifically to the waxy substance found in decomposing bodies, but now it can describe anything resembling adipocere.