'afterburner' originates from the combination of 'after' and 'burner', where 'after' refers to the position behind the main engine and 'burner' refers to the combustion process.

'afterburner' was coined in the mid-20th century as jet technology advanced, combining the words 'after' and 'burner' to describe the device's function.

Initially, it meant a device for increasing thrust in jet engines, and this meaning has remained consistent.