'balanoplasty' originates from modern medical formation combining Greek 'balanos' (meaning 'acorn', used anatomically to mean 'glans') and the suffix '-plasty' from Greek roots meaning 'to form' or 'to mold'.

'balanos' originally referred to an 'acorn' in ancient Greek; in anatomical/Latin usage it came to denote the 'glans'. In modern medical English the combining form 'balano-' was joined with '-plasty' to produce 'balanoplasty', referring to surgical shaping or reconstruction of the glans.

Initially 'balanos' meant 'acorn'; over time its anatomical sense shifted to 'glans', and combined with '-plasty' (forming/molding) the compound now means 'surgical reconstruction of the glans'.