'aspirin' originates from German, specifically the word 'Aspirin', where 'acet-' referred to 'acetyl' and 'spir' referred to the plant genus 'Spiraea' (meadowsweet) whose salicylic compounds were used.

'aspirin' was coined as the trade name 'Aspirin' by the German company Bayer in the late 19th century and was adopted into English from German, eventually becoming the common English word 'aspirin'.

Initially it meant Bayer's trademark name for acetylsalicylic acid, but over time it evolved into the generic term for acetylsalicylic acid used as a pain reliever, fever reducer, and antiplatelet agent.