'bacterioagglutinin' originates from a compound of the combining form 'bacterio-' (from Greek 'bakterion', meaning 'small staff' or 'rod', used for 'bacteria') and 'agglutinin' (from Latin 'agglutinare', meaning 'to glue together', via Neo-Latin scientific formation).

'bacterioagglutinin' was coined as a modern scientific compound in English by combining 'bacterio-' + 'agglutinin'; 'agglutinin' itself entered scientific usage from Latin 'agglutinare' through Neo-Latin and 19th-century biomedical literature.

Initially, 'agglutinin' referred generally to substances that caused particles or cells to stick together; over time the compound 'bacterioagglutinin' came to denote specifically substances that cause bacteria to agglutinate.