'dirt-attracting' is a compound word formed from 'dirt' and 'attracting'. 'Dirt' originates from Old English 'drit', meaning 'excrement', and 'attracting' comes from Latin 'attrahere', meaning 'to draw towards'.

The term 'dirt-attracting' evolved from the combination of 'dirt' and 'attracting', which have been used in English since the Middle Ages.

Initially, 'dirt' referred to 'excrement', but over time it evolved to mean 'soil or unclean matter', while 'attracting' has maintained its meaning of 'drawing towards'.