'azaserine' originates from modern chemical coinage, specifically combining the prefix 'aza-' (from French 'azote', ultimately from Greek elements used for nitrogen) and the noun 'serine' (from New Latin 'serina', from Latin 'sericum' meaning 'silk'), where 'aza-' meant 'nitrogen-substituted' and 'serine' referred to the amino acid.

'azaserine' changed from the constructed compound name 'aza-serine' (a descriptive chemical formation joining 'aza-' + 'serine') and eventually became the single-word modern term 'azaserine'.

Initially, it meant a serine derivative with a nitrogen substitution in a general descriptive sense, but over time it came to denote the specific diazo-containing antibiotic/inhibitor known today.