'burlwood' originates from English, specifically from the words 'burl' (a rounded knotty growth on a tree) and 'wood' (the material from trees), where 'burl' meant 'a tree growth producing unique grain patterns'.

'burlwood' is a compound formed in English from 'burl' and 'wood', and has been used to refer to wood cut from a burl since the 19th century.

Initially, it meant 'wood from a burl', and this meaning has remained consistent in modern usage.