re|cruit

re|cruit «rih KROOT», noun, verb.

–n.

1. a) a newly enlisted soldier, sailor, or other member of the armed forces: »

To have a wholly Regular Army we should need about 100,000 regular recruits, of whom there is no sign (London Times).

b) Figurative: »

The Nature Club needs recruits. Mr. E. H. Machin (“that most enterprising and enlightened recruit to the ranks of theatrical managers”) (Arnold Bennett).

SYNONYM(S): novice, tyro.

2. Archaic. a fresh supply of something.

╂[< obsolete French recrute < recruter; see the verb]

–v.t.

1. a) to get (men and women) to join an army, navy, air force, or other branch of the armed forces. b) to strengthen or supply (any branch of the armed forces) with new personnel. c) Figurative: »

to recruit new students, to recruit teachers for a school. The company is seeking to recruit young new executives.

2. to increase or maintain the number of: »

to recruit a colonial population with new settlers.

3. to get a sufficient number or amount of; renew; replenish: »

Before sailing, we recruited our provisions.

4. to renew the health, strength, or spirits of; refresh: »

The rest and the refreshment of the fruit…recruited him, and he moved on languidly (Cardinal Newman).

–v.i.

1. to get new men and women for an army, navy, air force, or other branch of the armed forces: »

The country's first act would be to recruit for the navy (Edward Bok).

2. to renew health, strength, or spirits; recuperate: »

After that Mr. Scott found it necessary to recruit for two months at Scarborough “with a course of quinine” (Lytton Strachey).

3. Archaic. to gain new supplies of anything lost or wasted.

╂[< French recruter < recrue recruit; (literally) new growth < Old French recroître < re- again + croître to grow < Latin crēscere. Compare etym. under crescent. (Cf. ↑crescent)]