'peristalsis-suppressing' is a compound of 'peristalsis' and 'suppressing'. 'Peristalsis' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'peristaltikos', where 'peri-' meant 'around' and the root related to 'contract' or 'compress'. 'Suppressing' (from 'suppress') originates from Latin, specifically 'supprimere', where 'sub-' meant 'under' and 'premere' meant 'to press'.

'Peristalsis' passed into Neo-Latin and then into English as 'peristalsis'. 'Suppress' came from Latin 'supprimere' → Old French/Anglo-French forms → Middle English 'suppress', with the present-participle form becoming 'suppressing'; the compound form 'peristalsis-suppressing' is a modern English medical/technical formation combining the two elements.

Individually, 'peristalsis' originally denoted the physiological wave-like contraction and 'suppress' originally meant 'to press down' or 'hold back'; combined as 'peristalsis-suppressing' the meaning evolved into 'having the effect of inhibiting peristalsis'.