invest

From Middle French investir or Medieval Latin investire, from Latin investio, "to clothe, cover," built from in- ("in, on") plus vestio ("to clothe, dress"), itself from vestis ("clothing").

The financial sense of "spend money expecting a return" likely arrived through Italian investire, which carried the same root but applied it to committing funds rather than covering a body.

It shares its vestis root with vest, the garment word making the "clothing" connection plain.