'hyperosmic' originates from Greek, specifically the elements 'hyper-' and 'osme', where 'hyper-' meant 'over, excessive' and 'osme' meant 'smell'.

'hyperosmic' entered modern English from New Latin medical formation 'hyperosmia' (meaning excessive smell sensitivity), and the adjective form 'hyperosmic' developed from that New Latin/medical term into English usage.

Initially, the formation referred specifically to an abnormal increase in olfactory sensitivity in medical contexts; over time it has retained that technical sense and is sometimes used more generally to describe an unusually keen sense of smell.