The word 'termite' entered English in the late 18th century from Modern Latin termites, which was the plural of termes. This Latin term was itself a modification of the earlier Latin tarmes, meaning 'a woodworm' or 'wood-eating worm'. The ultimate origin is likely from the Latin verb terere, meaning 'to rub, wear away, or bore', a fitting root for an insect that erodes wood. The semantic journey is direct: from the concept of boring or wearing away material to the specific insect known for this destructive behavior.

The word 'termite' is a loanword adopted as a single unit into English. It does not contain productive, separable morphemes from the perspective of modern English word formation.