'many-nucleated' originates from Modern English, specifically the compound of 'many' and 'nucleated', where 'many' ultimately comes from Old English 'manig' meaning 'many' and 'nucleated' derives from Neo-Latin 'nucleatus' meaning 'having a nucleus'.

'nucleated' changed from Latin 'nucleus' (from 'nux' meaning 'nut, kernel') into Medieval/Neo-Latin 'nucleatus' and then into English as 'nucleate' and the past-participial adjective 'nucleated'; 'many' comes from Old English 'manig' and combined in Modern English to form the compound 'many-nucleated'.

Initially related forms referred to a 'kernel' or 'nucleus' (i.e. 'having a nucleus'); the compound form 'many-nucleated' specifically conveys 'having many nuclei', a more specialized descriptive sense in biology.