'astigmatizer' originates from modern English formation from the verb 'astigmatize' (built with the agentive suffix '-er'), where 'astigmatize' ultimately derives from 'astigmatism'.

'astigmatizer' formed in English by adding the agent suffix '-er' to 'astigmatize'; 'astigmatize' was formed from the noun 'astigmatism', which entered English in the 19th century from Modern Latin and German 'Astigmatismus', itself from Greek elements.

Initially the root 'astigmatism' described the optical condition literally meaning 'lack of a point' (from Greek 'a-' meaning 'not' and 'stigma' meaning 'point/mark'); over time derived forms like 'astigmatize' and 'astigmatizer' have come to denote actions or instruments related to producing, measuring, or addressing that optical effect.