Etymology: < (i) Middle French, French investir to put (a person) in possession of a benefice, fief, etc. (early 13th cent. in Old French as envestir ), to clothe (a person) (13th cent.), to surround (a town or stronghold) with a hostile force (beginning of the 14th cent.), to provide or equip (a person) with an attribute or quality (first half of the 14th cent.), to storm and capture (a ship, town, etc.) (1595 in the passage translated in quot. 1598 at sense 5b), and its etymon (ii) classical Latin investīre to clothe, cover, adorn, in post-classical Latin also to establish (a person or institution) in the possession of property or office (8th cent.; frequently from 12th cent. in British sources) < in- in- prefix³ + vestīre to dress, clothe (see vest v.). In branch II. after Italian investire (from the early 14th cent. in specific uses relating to finance). Compare earlier investiture n. Compare also earlier vest v.Compare Old Occitan envestir , Spanish investir (early 15th cent.; late 13th cent. as envestir ), Portuguese investir (11th cent.), Italian investire (end of the 12th cent.), all earliest in sense 1a. Specific senses. In sense 1c after the corresponding uses of vest v. The specific military use of Middle French envestir , investir (compare sense 5) is after Italian investire to attack (an enemy or his or her stronghold) (13th cent.), to besiege (a stronghold, town, etc.) (beginning of the 16th cent.), specific sense developments of investire ‘to clothe’, the action of laying siege or attacking being compared to wrapping the enemy up tightly, as a garment does. This sense is also attested early in Spanish and Portuguese. Specific forms. With the β. forms compare en- prefix¹.