'aryballoi' originates from Ancient Greek, specifically the word 'ἀρύβαλλος' (aryballos), where the second element 'βάλλω' (ballō) meant 'to throw' and the exact sense of the initial element is uncertain.

'aryballos' passed into Latin as 'aryballus' and later entered English usage (especially in archaeological and art-historical contexts) as 'aryballos' with the plural often given in the original Greek form 'aryballoi'.

Initially it referred to 'a specific small vessel for oil or perfume' in ancient contexts; this meaning has been preserved in modern scholarly use to denote those ancient flasks.