'dimorphic-leaved' is a compound formed in English from 'dimorphic' + 'leaf' with the adjectival suffix '-ed'. 'Dimorphic' ultimately comes from Greek elements 'di-' and 'morphē', where 'di-' meant 'two' and 'morphē' meant 'form'; 'leaf' comes from Old English 'lēaf'.

'Dimorphic' was formed via New/Late Latin 'dimorphus' (from Greek 'dimorphos') meaning 'two-formed', which entered scientific English as 'dimorphic'; 'leaf' evolved from Old English 'lēaf' to modern English 'leaf'. These elements combined in modern English to form descriptive compounds such as 'dimorphic-leaved'.

Initially, the elements meant 'two-formed' (for 'dimorphic') and simply 'leaf' (for 'leaf'); together they have been used in botanical English to mean specifically 'having two distinct kinds of leaves on the same plant', a narrower technical sense than the separate elements alone.