'process-bearing' originates from Modern English, specifically the words 'process' + 'bearing', where 'process' meant 'a series of actions or operations' and 'bearing' is the present participle of 'bear', meaning 'carrying or possessing'.

'process-bearing' was formed as a descriptive compound in Modern English (20th century and later) by joining 'process' and the participial adjective 'bearing' to indicate something that carries or involves a process.

Initially it simply described the literal sense of 'bearing a process'; its usage has remained largely descriptive and technical, applied to objects, systems, or components that involve or carry processes.