'arthrozoan' originates from New Latin, specifically the word 'Arthrozoa', where 'arthro-' comes from Greek 'arthron' meaning 'joint' and '-zoan' comes from Greek 'zoion' meaning 'animal'.

'arthrozoan' was formed in modern scientific Latin from the Greek elements 'arthron' + 'zoion' and was adopted into English as a zoological term; it was used in older classification schemes to denote animals with jointed limbs.

Initially it meant 'jointed animal' in comparative anatomy and older taxonomies; over time the term has become rare or largely obsolete, with 'arthropod' more commonly used in modern contexts.