'polygon' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'polúgōnon' (πολύγωνον), where 'poly-' meant 'many' and 'gōnia' meant 'angle'.

'polygon' came into English via Late Latin 'polygonum' and Middle English 'polygone', eventually becoming the modern English 'polygon'.

Initially it referred to a 'many-angled' figure in Greek, and over time it retained that basic sense; specialized usages (e.g., in computer graphics) developed later.