'interstice' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'interstitium', where 'inter-' meant 'between' and 'sistere' (from which the participial stem 'stit-' is derived) meant 'to stand' or 'to cause to stand'.

'interstice' changed from the Latin word 'interstitium' and via Medieval/Latin usage entered Middle English (appearing as forms such as 'intersticis'/'interstice') and eventually became the modern English word 'interstice'.

Initially, it referred to 'a standing between' or simply an 'interval' in Latin usage; over time it narrowed in English to mean primarily a 'small space or gap between things', though the sense of a brief interval remains in figurative uses.