'oxide-covered' is a compound of 'oxide' and 'covered'. 'Oxide' originates from French, specifically the word 'oxyde', which comes from Neo-Latin 'oxydum', where 'oxys' meant 'sharp' or 'acid' and the suffix '-ide' was used in chemical nomenclature. 'Covered' originates from Old French 'covrir', from Latin 'cooperire', where 'co-' meant 'together' and 'operire' meant 'to cover'.

'Oxide' changed from Greek 'oxys' to Neo-Latin 'oxydum', then to French 'oxyde', and entered English as 'oxide'. 'Covered' came from Old French 'covrir' into Middle English as 'coveren' and became modern English 'cover' with the past participle 'covered'; the compound form 'oxide-covered' developed by combining the noun and past participle to form an adjective.

Initially, the element 'oxys' in 'oxide' related to 'sharp' or 'acid' in Greek; over time the term evolved into the chemical sense of a compound containing oxygen (an 'oxide'). 'Covered' has kept the basic meaning 'laid over or protected/hidden by something', and the compound now specifically means 'having a surface layer of oxide'.