'heat-driven' originates from Modern English, formed as a compound of 'heat' and the past participle 'driven' of 'drive'. 'heat' itself originates from Old English 'hǣtu', where that root meant 'warmth, heat', and 'drive' comes from Old English 'drīfan' (from Proto-Germanic *drībaną) meaning 'to drive, push'.

'heat-driven' is a modern compound combining the noun 'heat' (Old English 'hǣtu') with the past participle form 'driven' of 'drive' (Old English 'drīfan'); the components evolved from Proto-Germanic roots and were combined in Modern English to form the adjective.

Initially formed to describe something 'driven by heat' (literal sense), the term has retained that core meaning and is used in both literal and technical/metaphorical senses in modern usage.