'involucre' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'involucrum', where 'in-' meant 'in' or 'into' and 'volvere' meant 'to roll' or 'to wrap.'

'involucre' derives from Latin 'involucrum' (a wrapper), passed through Medieval Latin and was borrowed into English as 'involucre' with the specialized botanical sense.

Initially it meant 'a wrapper or covering' in Latin; over time the term retained that sense but became specialized in English botanical usage to mean 'a whorl of bracts surrounding a flower or flower cluster.'