'vascular-like' is formed by combining the adjective 'vascular' (from Latin 'vasculum', a diminutive of 'vas' meaning 'vessel') with the English suffix '-like' (from Old English 'līc' meaning 'body' or 'form').

'vascular' derives from Latin 'vasculum' (diminutive of 'vas'), passed into New Latin and then into English as 'vascular' in the 19th century; the suffix '-like' comes from Old English 'līc' → Middle English '-lich/-like' meaning 'having the form of' and has been used productively to form adjectives in Modern English, producing the compound 'vascular-like'.

Originally 'vascul-' terms referred to actual vessels ('vessel'); combined with '-like' it came to mean 'having the appearance or characteristics of vessels' rather than literally being a vessel.