'arsenobenzol' originates from New Latin and German, specifically from the combining form 'arseno-' from Greek 'arsenikon' where 'arsenik-' meant 'arsenic', and 'benzol' from German 'Benzol' (ultimately from 'benzoin' via Arabic) referring to benzene-related substances.

'arsenobenzol' changed from 19th-century German usage 'Arsenbenzol' (or similar chemical nomenclature in German and older English texts) and eventually the term was standardized in modern chemistry as 'arsenobenzene'.

Initially, it meant 'a benzene derivative containing arsenic', and that basic chemical meaning has remained, although modern nomenclature favors the form 'arsenobenzene' rather than 'arsenobenzol'.