'shock-resistant' is a compound formed from 'shock' and 'resistant'. 'shock' originates from Middle English 'shok' (or 'schok'), ultimately related to Old English words for striking or shaking, where the root conveyed a sense of 'strike' or 'shake'. 'resistant' originates from Latin, specifically the verb 'resistere,' where the prefix 're-' meant 'back/again' and 'sistere' (from sistere/stit-) meant 'to stand'.

'resistere' passed into Old French (as 'resister' / 'resistant') and then into Middle/Modern English as 'resist' and the adjective 'resistant'. 'shock' came through Middle English 'shok/schok' (meaning a strike or jolt). The modern compound adjective 'shock-resistant' arose in technical English (20th century) to describe materials or devices designed to withstand shocks.

Initially, Latin 'resistere' meant 'to stand back/against', and 'shock' originally meant 'a strike or jolt'. Over time 'resistant' came to mean 'able to withstand', and when combined as 'shock-resistant' it evolved to mean specifically 'able to withstand mechanical shocks or impacts'.