'bauxite-bearing' is a compound of 'bauxite' + the suffix '-bearing'. 'bauxite' originates from French, specifically the place name 'Les Baux' (French), where the ore was first described; '-bearing' comes from Old English 'beran' meaning 'to carry' or 'to bear'.

'bauxite' entered scientific English in the 19th century from French 'bauxite' (named after Les Baux, France) and became the standard name for the aluminum ore; '-bearing' developed from Old English 'beran' through Middle English 'beren' to modern English 'bearing', used to indicate 'containing' or 'carrying'. The compound 'bauxite-bearing' therefore literally meant 'bearing (containing) bauxite' and has been used in geological descriptions since the 19th century.

Initially the elements referred to a place-name-derived ore ('bauxite') and an action 'to bear/carry' ('-bearing'); together they have retained a literal descriptive meaning and now specifically denote rock or strata that contain bauxite.