'spray-painter' originates from Modern English, specifically the compound of 'spray' and 'painter', where 'spray' referred to 'a fine jet or mist' and 'painter' meant 'one who paints'.

'spray' as a noun developed in early modern English (c. 17th century) to mean 'a fine jet or mist'; 'painter' comes from Old French 'peintre', from Latin 'pingere' meaning 'to paint'. The compound 'spray-painter' arose in the 20th century with the spread of spray-painting technology.

Initially, 'painter' meant simply 'one who paints' and 'spray' meant 'a spray or mist'; over time the compound came to mean specifically 'a person who paints using a spray (spray gun or aerosol)'.