1. To pay back money to someone that is spent for an official or approved reason or taken as a loan; or to give anyone money as compensation for a loss or damage.
2. Payment made to someone for out-of-pocket expenses that a person has incurred.
3. Etymology: from re-, "back" + imburse, "to pay, to enrich"; literally, "put in a purse"; from Middle French embourser, from Old French em-, "in" + borser, "to get money"; from borse, "purse" from Medieval Latin bursa.