'fimbrial' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'fimbria', where 'fimbria' meant 'fringe' or 'border'.

'fimbrial' changed from the Neo-Latin adjective 'fimbrialis' (formed from Latin 'fimbria') and entered English via scientific and medical Latin usage as the modern English adjective 'fimbrial'.

Initially, it meant 'relating to a fringe or fringe-like structure'; over time it has retained that core sense while becoming commonly used in specialized contexts (anatomy, microbiology) to refer to fimbriae and fimbria-like appendages.