'airbrush' originates from the combination of 'air' and 'brush', where 'air' refers to the medium used to spray paint or ink, and 'brush' refers to the tool used for painting.

'airbrush' was coined in the late 19th century as a tool for artists and illustrators, evolving into a digital editing term in the late 20th century.

Initially, it meant 'to apply paint using an airbrush tool', but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'digitally enhancing images'.