recruit

To recruit is to try to convince someone to join something; especially the armed forces.

(verb)

When you try to convince someone to participate in a non-profit organization, this is an example of a situation where you recruit someone to volunteer.

The definition of a recruit is a new person who has joined something, especially the military.

(noun)

A person who has just joined the navy is an example of a new recruit.

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See recruit in Webster's New World College Dictionary

transitive verb

  1. to raise or strengthen (an army, navy, etc.) by enlisting personnel
  2. to enlist (personnel) into an army or navy
    1. to enlist (new members), as for a party or organization
    2. to hire or engage the services of
  3. Rare
    1. to increase or maintain by supplying anew; replenish
    2. to revive or restore (health, strength, etc.)
  4. to seek to enroll (students) in a college, university, etc., as for the purpose of playing a varsity sport

Origin: Fr recruter < recrute, a recruit, lit., new growth < recrû, pp. of recroître, to grow again < L re-, again + crescere, to grow, increase: see crescent

intransitive verb

  1. to enlist new personnel, esp. for a military force
  2. Rare
    1. to get new supplies of something, as in replacement
    2. to regain health, strength, etc.
  3. to seek to enroll students, as athletes to play a varsity sport, in college, university, etc.

noun

  1. a newly enlisted or drafted soldier, sailor, etc.
  2. a new member of any group, body, or organization

Related Forms:

See recruit in American Heritage Dictionary 4

verb re·cruit·ed, re·cruit·ing, re·cruits
verb, transitive
  1. To engage (persons) for military service.
  2. To strengthen or raise (an armed force) by enlistment.
  3. To supply with new members or employees.
  4. To enroll or seek to enroll: colleges recruiting minority students.
  5. To replenish.
  6. To renew or restore the health, vitality, or intensity of.
verb, intransitive
  1. To raise a military force.
  2. To obtain replacements for or new supplies of something lost, wasted, or needed.
  3. To regain lost health or strength; recover.
noun
  1. A newly engaged member of a military force, especially one of the lowest rank or grade.
  2. A new member of an organization or body.

Origin:

Origin: French recruter

Origin: , from obsolete recrute, recruit

Origin: , variant of recrue

Origin: , from feminine past participle of recroître, to grow again

Origin: , from Old French recroistre

Origin: : re-, re-

Origin: + croistre, to grow (from Latin crēscere; see ker-2 in Indo-European roots)

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Related Forms:

  • re·cruitˈer noun
  • re·cruitˈment noun

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