'mucronate' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'mucronatus', where 'mucro' meant 'point' or 'tip'.

'mucronatus' from Latin was used in Medieval/Neo-Latin botanical Latin as 'mucronatus'/'mucronate' and was adopted into English botanical terminology as 'mucronate'.

Initially it meant 'having a point' in Latin, but over time it became specialized in English botanical usage to mean 'ending in a short, abrupt, rigid point'.