'mucocele' originates from New Latin/medical formation, specifically from Latin 'mucus' and Greek 'kēlē', where 'mucus' meant 'mucus' and 'kēlē' meant 'tumor' or 'hernia'.

'mucocele' was formed in medical/New Latin as a compound of Latin 'mucus' + Greek-derived suffix '-cele' (from 'kēlē'); the term entered English medical usage in the 19th century and has been used for mucus-filled swellings since then.

Initially it referred generally to a swelling or hernia-like protrusion involving mucus; over time it has come to mean specifically a mucus-filled cyst or dilated mucus-containing structure (e.g., in salivary glands or the appendix).