'auramine' originates from New Latin/modern chemical coinage, specifically from Latin 'aurum' and the chemical element 'amine', where 'aur-' meant 'gold' and 'amine' referred to 'a nitrogen-containing compound (from ammonia)'.

'auramine' changed from German word 'Auramin' (coined in the late 19th century for yellow synthetic dyes) and eventually became the modern English word 'auramine' (including variants like 'auramine O').

Initially, it meant 'a gold- or yellow-colored amine compound used as a dye,' and over time it narrowed to refer specifically to certain yellow/fluorescent amine dyes (e.g., auramine O) used in microscopy and staining.