'antiperistatic' originates from Greek elements, specifically the parts 'anti-' and 'peristatikos', where 'anti-' meant 'against' and 'peristatikos' (from Greek roots related to 'peristellein') meant 'to contract around'.

'antiperistatic' changed from medical coinages formed by joining the prefix 'anti-' with terms derived from Greek 'peristaltikos'/'peristalsis' and eventually became the modern English word 'antiperistatic' in 20th-century medical usage.

Initially, it meant 'acting against peristalsis', and over time it has retained that specialized meaning of 'inhibiting or opposing peristaltic movements'.