'air-powered' originates from the combination of 'air' and 'powered', where 'air' refers to the invisible gaseous substance surrounding the earth, and 'powered' means supplied with energy.

'air-powered' changed from the concept of using air as a driving force in machinery and eventually became a common term in modern English to describe devices operated by compressed air.

Initially, it meant 'driven by air', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.