'azyme' originates from Late Latin 'azyma', ultimately from Greek 'azumos', where the prefix 'a-' meant 'without' and 'zumos' meant 'leaven'.

'azyme' changed from Greek 'azumos' to Late Latin 'azyma', passed into Old French as 'azime' and Middle English as 'azyme', eventually becoming the modern English 'azyme'.

Initially, it meant 'unleavened (bread or cake)', and over time it retained this core meaning but became more specialized in English to refer especially to religious/unleavened bread used in rites.