'toe-out' originates from the English words 'toe' and 'out'. 'Toe' comes from Old English 'tā' (meaning 'toe, digit') and 'out' comes from Old English 'ūt' (meaning 'out, away'). The compound describes the toe (front) of a wheel pointing outwards.

'toe' changed from Old English 'tā' to Middle English forms such as 'to' and eventually modern English 'toe'. The compound term 'toe-out' emerged as technical jargon in vehicle engineering and wheel alignment in the early 20th century as automobiles became common.

Initially 'toe' referred specifically to the toe of the foot; in mechanical contexts the word was extended metaphorically to mean the front edge of a wheel, so 'toe-out' came to mean that those front edges point outward.