'bacterize' originates from Modern Latin, specifically the word 'bacterium', where the Greek root 'bakterion' meant 'small staff' (used for the rod-like shape of some microbes), combined with the English verbal suffix '-ize' meaning 'to make or to become'.

'bacterium' (Modern Latin) came from Greek 'bakterion'; the English verb 'bacterize' was formed in the 19th century by adding '-ize' to the noun and later produced the past form 'bacterized' used in scientific and medical contexts.

Initially, the formation meant 'to introduce or treat with bacteria'; over time it has been used both in technical senses (to inoculate or colonize experimentally) and in clinical/descriptive senses (to indicate infection or contamination).