'aminoacid-like' originates from modern English compounding of the noun 'amino acid' and the adjectival suffix '-like', where 'amino' is from 'amine' (relating to ammonia-derived nitrogen compounds) and '-like' comes from Old English 'lic' meaning 'having the form of'.

'amino acid' as a chemical term arose in the late 19th century from 'amine' + 'acid' to name acids containing an amino group; the productive English suffix '-like' (from Old English 'lic') was later attached to form descriptive compounds such as 'aminoacid-like'.

Initially, compounding with '-like' simply indicated 'having the form or characteristics of' the base term; 'aminoacid-like' has retained that descriptive sense, meaning 'resembling an amino acid' in chemical contexts.