'agarose' originates from 'agar', specifically the word 'agar', where 'agar' meant 'a gelatinous substance derived from seaweed'.

'agar' changed from 'Malay' word 'agar-agar' and eventually became the modern English word 'agar'.

Initially, it meant 'a gelatinous substance derived from seaweed', but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'a polysaccharide used in gel electrophoresis'.