'vitis' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'vitis', where it meant 'vine' or 'grapevine'.

'vitis' was borrowed into Modern Latin and scientific Latin usage and then adopted into English as the botanical genus name 'Vitis'.

Initially, in Latin it meant 'vine' or 'grapevine'; in modern English usage it mainly appears as the scientific name for the genus of grapevines (family Vitaceae).