'pro-nicotine' is formed from the prefix 'pro-' (from Latin 'pro', meaning 'for' or 'in favor of') combined with 'nicotine' (the alkaloid name).

'nicotine' itself comes from French 'nicotine', named after Jean Nicot; the modern noun 'nicotine' entered scientific English in the early 19th century. The construction 'pro-' + noun to mean 'in favor of X' is a productive modern English formation, giving 'pro-nicotine' as a compositional adjective/label in contemporary discourse.

Initially, 'nicotine' referred strictly to the chemical named after Nicot; over time compound forms with the prefix 'pro-' have been used to label political or social positions, so 'pro-nicotine' evolved to mean 'in favor of nicotine or its use' in current usage.