'fruitwood' originates from English as a compound of 'fruit' and 'wood'. 'fruit' originates from Old French 'fruit', specifically from Latin 'fructus', where 'fructus' meant 'enjoyment, produce'; 'wood' originates from Old English 'wudu', where 'wudu' meant 'forest, timber'.

'fruit' passed into Middle English from Old French 'fruit' (from Latin 'fructus'), and 'wood' comes from Old English 'wudu'; the compound 'fruitwood' formed in late Middle English/early Modern English to denote the wood of fruit trees and developed into the modern English 'fruitwood'.

Initially it meant 'wood of fruit (trees)', and over time the sense has remained largely the same but broadened to include wood used specifically for smoking or flavoring food.