'glycoside' originates from the Greek word 'glykys,' meaning 'sweet,' and the suffix '-ide,' used in chemistry to denote a compound.

'glykys' transformed into the German word 'Glykosid,' and eventually became the modern English word 'glycoside.'

Initially, it referred to any compound containing a sugar, but over time it evolved to specifically denote compounds formed by the replacement of a hydroxyl group in a sugar molecule.