'rabies-preventive' is a compound of 'rabies' + 'preventive'. 'rabies' originates from Latin 'rabies' meaning 'madness' or 'rage', and 'preventive' originates from Latin 'praeventivus' (from 'praevenire') meaning 'to come before, to anticipate'.

'rabies' entered English via Old French (Old French 'rabie') and Middle English, retaining reference to furious disease; 'preventive' came into English via Medieval Latin/Old French forms (Latin 'praeventivus', Medieval Latin 'praevent-') and Middle French 'préventif', later becoming English 'preventive'. The compound form is a modern English formation combining the two elements.

Initially, 'rabies' generally meant 'madness' or 'furious rage' and later came to denote the specific viral disease; 'preventive' originally meant 'that which comes before' or 'prevents' and evolved into a term for measures or agents that stop disease or harm. Together they now specifically denote measures or agents that prevent rabies.