'zoomorphic' originates from Greek, specifically the words 'zōon' and 'morphē', where 'zōon' meant 'animal' and 'morphē' meant 'form', via New Latin 'zoomorphicus'.

'zoomorphic' changed from the New Latin word 'zoomorphicus' and eventually became the modern English word 'zoomorphic'.

Initially, it meant 'having the form of an animal', and over time the meaning has remained largely the same, applied especially to art, religion, and descriptive language.