'bacteriohemolysin' originates from New/Modern Latin and Modern English combining forms: the prefix 'bacterio-' (from Greek 'bakterion', meaning 'small staff; bacterium') combined with 'hemolysin' (from Greek 'haima' meaning 'blood' + 'lysis' meaning 'loosening, dissolution'), where the elements together denote a bacterial agent that dissolves blood cells.

'bacteriohemolysin' was formed by compounding the element 'bacterio-' (from Greek via New Latin) with the already established term 'hemolysin' (coined in modern biomedical English from Greek roots); this compounding produced the technical noun used in microbiology to indicate a bacterial hemolysin.

Initially, the constituent parts referred to 'bacterium' and 'blood dissolution' respectively; over time the compounded term has come to be used specifically for bacterial toxins that cause hemolysis in clinical and microbiological contexts.