'airbrasive' originates from the combination of 'air' and 'abrasive', where 'air' refers to the gaseous substance surrounding the earth and 'abrasive' refers to a material capable of polishing or cleaning a hard surface by rubbing or grinding.

'airbrasive' was coined in the 20th century as a term to describe a specific type of abrasive tool that uses air pressure.

Initially, it meant a tool using air and abrasive particles for cleaning, and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.