'anteocular' originates from Latin: the prefix 'ante-' meaning 'before' and 'oculus' meaning 'eye', combined via the adjective-forming element '-ocular'.

'anteocular' was formed in New/Neo-Latin by combining Latin 'ante-' and Late Latin/Medieval Latin 'ocularis' (from 'oculus'), and was adopted into English in anatomical and biological usage.

Initially formed simply to denote position 'before the eye' in scientific descriptions; this core locational meaning has remained stable into modern use.