'catabolite' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'katabole', where 'kata-' meant 'down' and 'ballein' meant 'to throw'; the English noun was formed from 'catabolism' + the suffix '-ite' (from Greek '-ites' via Latin/French).

'catabolite' changed from the term 'catabolism' (from Greek 'katabole') combined with the suffix '-ite' to form the scientific English noun 'catabolite' in modern usage.

Initially it referred to the idea of a 'throwing down' or breakdown (from Greek katabole); over time it evolved to mean specifically 'a substance produced by metabolic breakdown' in biological contexts.