'stall-preventing' originates from modern English as a compound of 'stall' and the present participle 'preventing'; here 'stall' refers to the loss of aerodynamic lift or engine stoppage, and 'preventing' comes from the verb 'prevent' meaning to stop something from happening.

'stall' traces back to Old English 'steall' (place, position) and later sense of 'stopping' or 'standing' in Middle English, while 'prevent' comes from Latin 'praevenire' via Old French 'prevenir'; the compound 'stall-preventing' is a modern English formation combining these elements to mean preventing a stall.

Initially, the components referred separately to a 'stall' (a stopping or loss of function) and to 'coming before' or 'hindering'; over time they combined into a technical compound meaning 'preventing a stall' in contexts like aviation and engines.