'anti-hemolysin' originates from Greek prefix 'anti-' and Neo-Latin 'haemolysin' (used in scientific Latin/Neo-Latin), specifically the Neo-Latin word 'haemolysin', where 'anti-' meant 'against', Greek 'haima' (in 'haemo-') meant 'blood', and Greek 'lysis' meant 'loosening' or 'destruction'.

'anti-hemolysin' developed as a modern English scientific compound from Neo-Latin 'haemolysin' (formed in the 19th century to name substances causing red-blood-cell lysis) combined with the prefix 'anti-'; the British spelling 'anti-haemolysin' and the US spelling 'anti-hemolysin' reflect orthographic variants that produced the contemporary English term 'anti-hemolysin'.

Initially used to denote an agent acting 'against substances that cause lysis of blood cells' (i.e., against haemolysins); over time this remained the core meaning and is still used to denote antibodies or inhibitors that neutralize hemolysins.