'apocrinal' originates from Modern Latin, specifically the word 'apocrinus', where 'apo-' meant 'away' and the Greek root 'krinein' meant 'to separate'.

'apocrinal' developed via New/Modern Latin 'apocrinus' from Greek 'apokrinein' and entered English in medical usage as an adjective related to 'apocrine'.

Initially it described the action 'to separate off' (the Greek sense), and over time it came to mean 'relating to apocrine glands or apocrine secretion' in medical contexts.