'shelter-belt' originates from modern English, specifically as a compound of the words 'shelter' and 'belt' (i.e., a 'belt' that provides 'shelter').

'Shelter' and 'belt' are both native English/Germanic words: 'shelter' developed through Middle English from older Germanic and Romance influences meaning 'protection', while 'belt' comes from Old English (e.g. 'bælt') meaning a band or strip. The compound 'shelter-belt' developed in English agricultural usage (notably in the 19th–20th century) to denote a planted belt of trees.

The term is a literal compound whose meaning — a belt of vegetation providing shelter from wind and related effects — has remained consistent since its formation.