'linocut' originates from the combination of 'linoleum' and 'cut', where 'linoleum' refers to the material used and 'cut' refers to the process of carving.

'linocut' was coined in the early 20th century as a term to describe this specific printmaking technique.

Initially, it referred specifically to the technique of cutting linoleum for printmaking, and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.