'moisture-sensitive' originates from the combination of 'moisture' and 'sensitive', where 'moisture' refers to 'water or other liquid diffused in a small quantity as vapor' and 'sensitive' means 'quick to detect or respond to slight changes, signals, or influences'.

'moisture' comes from the Latin word 'mōistūra', and 'sensitive' is derived from the Latin word 'sēnsitīvus'.

Initially, 'moisture-sensitive' meant 'responsive to moisture', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.