'prop-driven' originates from the combination of 'propeller' and 'driven', where 'propeller' refers to a device with blades that spin to create thrust, and 'driven' means powered or operated by.

'propeller' comes from the Latin word 'propellere', meaning 'to drive forward', and 'driven' is the past participle of 'drive', from Old English 'drīfan'.

Initially, it meant 'powered by a propeller', and this meaning has remained consistent in modern usage.