'araneiform' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'aranea' (meaning 'spider') combined with the Latin-derived suffix '-form' from 'forma' (meaning 'shape' or 'form').

'araneiform' entered English via Neo-Latin/technical usage (e.g. 'araneiformis') to describe 'spider-shaped' morphology; it was adopted in planetary geology to name spider-like surface features, and the plural became 'araneiforms'.

Initially it meant simply 'spider-shaped' (having the form of a spider); over time it evolved into a technical term referring specifically to the spider-like erosional or sublimation landforms seen on Mars.