'plateletpheresis' originates from a Modern English compound of 'platelet' and 'pheresis', where 'platelet' is a diminutive of 'plate' meaning 'small plate' and 'pheresis' derives from Greek 'aphaíresis' meaning 'removal'.

'pheresis' comes from Greek 'aphaíresis', passed into New Latin/medical Latin as 'apheresis' or the combining form '-pheresis', which was later used to form medical compounds such as 'plasmapheresis' and eventually 'plateletpheresis' by combining with 'platelet'.

Initially 'aphaíresis' meant 'removal'; over time the term came to be used specifically for medical procedures that separate and remove particular blood components, and 'plateletpheresis' now specifically denotes the separation and collection of platelets.