'round-fruited' originates from English, formed from the adjective 'round' (ultimately from Old French 'rond', from Latin 'rotundus', meaning 'round') and the noun 'fruit' (from Old French 'fruit', from Latin 'fructus', meaning 'produce' or 'enjoyment'), with the suffix '-ed' creating an adjective meaning 'having fruit'.

'round' entered English via Middle English from Old French 'rond' (from Latin 'rotundus'), and 'fruit' entered Middle English from Old French 'fruit' (from Latin 'fructus'); the compound adjective 'round-fruited' developed in Modern English by combining these elements to describe plants with round fruit.

Initially the components meant 'round' and 'fruit' respectively; over time the compound has come to be used in botanical and descriptive contexts to mean 'having round fruit'.