'shelterbelt' originates from English, specifically a compound of the words 'shelter' and 'belt', where 'shelter' meant 'protection' and 'belt' meant 'a strip or band'.

'shelterbelt' developed from the earlier hyphenated form 'shelter-belt' (used in agricultural and forestry contexts) and later appeared as the closed compound 'shelterbelt' in modern English.

Initially it literally meant 'a protective strip or band providing shelter', and over time this literal sense has remained the principal meaning, used especially in agriculture and land management.