'pterygotous' originates from New Latin/Greek, specifically the scientific name 'Pterygotus', where Greek 'pteryx' meant 'wing' or 'fin' and the element used in the genus name signaled possession; the English adjectival suffix '-ous' means 'having the nature of'.

'pterygotous' changed from the 19th-century scientific name 'Pterygotus' (coined for a eurypterid genus) and eventually became the modern English adjective 'pterygotous' by addition of the adjectival suffix '-ous'.

Initially it referred specifically to members or features of the genus 'Pterygotus'; over time it has also been used more generally to describe winglike or pterygoid structures.