'aspermatous' originates from New Latin/modern scientific formation, ultimately from Greek 'sperma' (σπέρμα), where the prefix 'a-' meant 'without' and 'sperma' meant 'seed'.

'aspermatous' developed in scientific English by combining the negative prefix 'a-' with a form related to Greek 'sperma' ('seed'); it is related to earlier terms such as 'aspermous' used in 19th-century biological descriptions and later stabilized as 'aspermatous' in technical usage.

Initially it meant 'without seed' (literally lacking seed); over time the term's use has broadened in biology to cover lack of sperm or absence of viable gametes, but the core sense of 'not producing reproductive material' has been retained.