'antheriform' originates from Modern formation combining the noun 'anther' and the Latin-derived suffix '-iform', where 'anther' meant 'the pollen-bearing part of a stamen' and '-form' (from Latin 'formis') meant 'shape, form'.

'anther' comes from New Latin 'anthera', ultimately from Greek 'ánthēra' (ἄνθηρα) meaning 'anther' or related to 'flower', while the suffix '-iform' derives from Latin 'formis' meaning 'having the form of'; these elements were combined in modern botanical English to form 'antheriform'.

Initially formed to mean 'having the form of an anther', this core meaning has been preserved in current botanical usage to describe structures that are anther-like in shape.