'agatize' originates from the word 'agate,' which comes from the Greek word 'achates,' referring to a river in Sicily where agates were found.

'achates' transformed into the Latin word 'achates,' and eventually became the modern English word 'agate,' from which 'agatize' is derived.

Initially, it referred to the process of becoming agate, and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.