'bacterize' originates from New Latin/Greek, specifically the word 'bacterium', where the Greek 'bakterion' meant 'small staff' (a diminutive of 'baktron' meaning 'rod' or 'stick'), and the English suffix '-ize' from Greek '-izein' (via Latin/French) meaning 'to make or to do'.

'bacterize' developed from the New Latin 'bacterium' (from Greek 'bakterion') combined with the suffix '-ize'. The formation appeared in scientific English in the 19th century as bacteria-related terminology expanded, eventually becoming the modern English verb 'bacterize'.

Initially it carried the literal sense of 'to make bacterial' or 'to treat with bacteria'; over time it has been used chiefly in scientific and medical contexts to mean 'to infect, contaminate, or inoculate with bacteria'.