'amphisbaenian-like' originates from English, specifically formed from the noun 'amphisbaenian' plus the suffix '-like', where 'amphisbaenian' ultimately comes from Greek elements 'amphi-' meaning 'both' and a root related to 'to go' (from amphisbaina/amphisbaena), and the English suffix '-like' meant 'having the form of'.

'amphisbaenian-like' developed by combining the 19th-century scientific/New Latin term 'Amphisbaenia' (which yielded English 'amphisbaenian') with the native English adjectival suffix '-like', producing the compound adjective meaning 'resembling an amphisbaenian'.

Initially related specifically to the named creatures called amphisbaenians; over time the compound formation simply came to mean 'resembling or characteristic of an amphisbaenian' in descriptive contexts.