'alpha-hemolytic' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'alpha' and the elements from Greek/New Latin 'haima' + 'lysis' (via Modern Latin/medical formation), where 'alpha' meant 'first', 'haima' meant 'blood', and 'lysis' meant 'a loosening or breaking down'.

'alpha-hemolytic' developed as a modern compound term in medical microbiology from the Greek 'alpha' + New Latin/Greek-derived 'haemolyticus'/'haemolysis' and appeared in English as 'alpha-hemolytic' (with variant British spelling 'alpha-haemolytic').

Initially related generally to the breaking down of blood ('haemolysis'); over time the compound 'alpha-hemolytic' came to be used specifically for the partial (greenish) type of hemolysis observed on blood agar.