'arteriole' originates from Modern/New Latin, specifically the word 'arteriola,' where 'arteria' meant 'artery' and the diminutive suffix '-ola' (from Latin '-olus/-ola') meant 'small'.

'arteriole' changed from Late Latin/Medieval Latin 'arteriola' (a diminutive of 'arteria') and entered English as a scientific/medical term from modern Latin usage, becoming the English 'arteriole'.

Initially it meant 'little artery' in Latin, and over time it has kept that core meaning as 'a small branch of an artery leading to capillaries'.