'windcheater' originates from English, specifically from the compound 'wind' + 'cheater', where 'wind' meant 'moving air' and 'cheater' was used figuratively as 'that which cheats or defeats'.

'windcheater' appeared in early 20th-century British English often written as 'wind-cheater' and later became solidified in usage as 'windcheater', coming to be used interchangeably with 'windbreaker'.

Initially it literally meant 'something that cheats or defies the wind'; over time it evolved into the name for 'a lightweight windproof jacket'.