'florivory' originates from Latin roots, specifically 'flos, floris' (flower) combined with the Latin verb 'vorare' (to eat), forming a modern scientific compound analogous to 'herbivory' and 'frugivory'.

'florivory' is a modern formation in scientific English that combines the Latin stem 'flori-' (from 'flos, floris') with the suffix '-vory' (from Latin 'vorare' via New Latin compounds); it was modeled on earlier compounds like 'herbivory' and 'frugivory'.

Initially coined to denote 'eating flowers', the term has maintained that specific meaning in ecological and entomological contexts.