'wear-preventing' originates from Modern English, specifically the compound of the noun 'wear' and the present-participle form 'preventing' (from the verb 'prevent'), where 'prevent' ultimately comes from Latin 'praevenire' (prae- meaning 'before' + venire meaning 'to come').

'wear-preventing' developed from the simple phrase 'wear preventing' (two words) used in technical contexts; over time it has commonly appeared hyphenated as 'wear-preventing' in Modern English to mark it as a single adjectival unit.

Initially a literal compound meaning 'preventing wear'; its core meaning has remained stable, used primarily in technical or material-science contexts to describe coatings, treatments, or designs that reduce wear.