'arteriectomy' originates from Greek and Latin elements: the Latin word 'arteria' (from Greek 'artēría') meaning 'artery' (originally 'air vessel') and the Greek word 'ektomḗ' meaning 'excision' or 'cutting out'.

'arteriectomy' was formed in medical English by combining 'artery' (from Latin 'arteria', via Greek 'artēría') with the surgical suffix '-ectomy' (from Greek 'ektomḗ'). The compound emerged as part of 19th- and 20th-century medical terminology to name specific arterial resection procedures.

Initially it denoted the literal 'cutting out' or excision of an artery; this core meaning has been retained and is used specifically for surgical removal of an artery or arterial segment.