'ankylotome' originates from Greek, specifically the elements 'ankylos' and 'tomē', where 'ankylos' meant 'bent, crooked, fused' and 'tomē' meant 'a cutting, incision'.

'ankylotome' was formed in New Latin/medical terminology from the Greek elements (via medical Latin/modern formation) and entered English through 19th-century medical literature as 'ankylotome'.

Initially, it meant 'a cutting instrument for bent or fused parts', and over time it became the specialized surgical term meaning 'an instrument used to perform ankylotomy (to release ankylosed joints)'.