'apophysate' is formed from New Latin/Greek roots: from Greek 'apophysis' meaning 'a growth or projection', with the English adjectival suffix '-ate' (forming adjectives meaning 'having or being characterized by').

'apophysis' came into scientific Latin and then English from Greek 'apophysis'; the adjective 'apophysate' was later formed in English/technical usage by adding '-ate' to denote 'having an apophysis'.

Initially the Greek term referred to 'a growth' or 'outgrowth'; in modern scientific English the derived adjective 'apophysate' specifically describes structures that bear such a projection (often a bony process).