'propeller-driven' originates from the combination of 'propeller' and 'driven', where 'propeller' refers to a device with blades that rotates to push against air or water, and 'driven' means powered or moved by a force.

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

Initially, 'propeller-driven' referred specifically to vehicles powered by propellers, and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.