English edit

Etymology edit

1610s, re- (back) +‎ imburse (pay) (imburse (literally put in a purse), circa 1530, now obsolete), from Middle French embourser, from Old French en- (in) + borser (to get money), from borse (purse), from Medieval Latin bursa (English purse).[1]

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /ˌɹiːɪmˈbɜː(ɹ)s/
  • (file)
  • Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)s

Verb edit

reimburse (third-person singular simple present reimburses, present participle reimbursing, simple past and past participle reimbursed)

  1. To compensate with payment; especially, to repay money spent on one's behalf.
    Synonym: (one sense, obsolete) imburse
    The company will reimburse you for your expenses for the business trip.
    • 2006 May 9, Penn Jillette, Michael Goudeau, quoting Rudy, 15:35 from the start, in Penn Radio[1]:
      You can tell this funny monkey story, but please keep and mind and tell people that the man who lost all his fruit to the monkeys was entirely reimbursed.

Hypernyms edit

Derived terms edit

Related terms edit

Translations edit

References edit

  1. ^ Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “reimburse”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

Anagrams edit