'wind-resistant' originates as a compound of the English words 'wind' and 'resistant'. 'wind' comes from Old English 'wind', ultimately from Proto-Germanic '*windaz' meaning 'moving air', and 'resistant' comes from Latin 'resistere' (via Old French 'resister'), where the parts conveyed the idea of 'standing against' or 'withstanding'.

'wind' remained into modern English from Old English 'wind'. 'resistere' became Old French 'resister' and influenced Middle English forms like 'resisten', leading to the modern adjective 'resistant'; the two elements were later combined in English into the compound adjective 'wind-resistant'.

Originally the components referred separately to 'moving air' and 'standing against/opposing'; the compound came to mean specifically 'able to withstand the force or effects of wind'.