'pollution-control' originates from modern English as a compound of 'pollution' and 'control'; 'pollution' comes from Latin 'pollutio' (from 'polluere') and 'control' comes from Old French/Anglo-Norman forms of 'contreroller'/'contreroller'.

'pollution' came into English via Latin 'pollutio' (from the verb 'polluere' meaning 'to defile') and medieval/early modern French forms, becoming English 'pollution'; 'control' developed from Old French/Anglo-Norman 'contreoller' (from contra + rolle/roll) into Middle English 'control' and then modern English 'control'.

Initially, 'pollution' meant 'the act of defiling or soiling' and 'control' meant 'checking or restraining' (originally against a roll/record); combined as 'pollution-control', the term evolved to mean specifically 'measures or systems to limit environmental pollution'.