'apicolysis' originates from modern medical coinage combining Latin and Greek elements: Latin 'apex'/'apicalis' (from 'apex', meaning 'tip' or 'summit') and Greek 'lysis' (λύσις, meaning 'loosening' or 'dissolution').

'apicolysis' was formed in modern medical/biological terminology by joining the Neo-Latin/Latin-derived element 'apico-' (from Latin 'apex' via 'apicalis') with the Greek-derived suffix '-lysis' (from Greek 'lysis'), creating a compound meaning 'loosening/dissolution of the apex'.

Initially the roots 'apico-' and '-lysis' individually meant 'tip' and 'loosening/dissolution'; when combined in modern medical usage they specifically denote the process or state of apex breakdown or resorption, a meaning that has remained stable in technical contexts.