'isopterous' originates from Greek, specifically the elements 'isos' meaning 'equal' and 'pteron' meaning 'wing'.

'isopterous' was formed from New Latin/Greek scientific coinages such as 'Isoptera' (the name of the termite order) and Greek compound elements; it entered modern English in scientific contexts in the 19th century as a descriptive adjective.

Initially it primarily meant 'equal-winged' (describing wing morphology); over time it was also used in contexts referring to the order Isoptera (termites) or to isopteran insects in general.