'plant-like' originates from the combination of 'plant' and the suffix '-like', where 'plant' refers to a living organism that typically grows in a permanent site, absorbing water and inorganic substances through its roots, and 'like' means 'similar to'.

'Plant' comes from the Old English 'plante', which was derived from the Latin 'planta', meaning 'sprout' or 'shoot'. The suffix '-like' is used in English to form adjectives indicating similarity.

The term 'plant-like' has consistently meant 'resembling a plant' since its inception.