'palm-like' originates from English, specifically the word 'palm' and the suffix '-like', where 'palm' comes from Latin 'palma' meaning 'palm of the hand' or 'palm tree' and '-like' comes from Old English 'līc' meaning 'body; form; similar'.

'palm' came into English via Old English 'palm' from Late Latin 'palma', and the adjectival suffix '-like' developed from Old English 'līc' into the productive modern English suffix '-like', combining to form compounds such as 'palm-like'.

Initially it referred to things related to the 'palm' (of the hand) or to a 'palm tree', but over time it evolved into the descriptive compound meaning 'resembling a palm'.