re·cruit / riˈkroōt/ • v. [tr.] enlist (someone) in the armed forces: they recruit their toughest soldiers from the desert tribes | [intr.] the regiment was still actively recruiting. ∎  form (an army or other force) by enlisting new people: a basis for recruiting an army. ∎  enroll (someone) as a member or worker in an organization or as a supporter of a cause: there are plans to recruit more staff later this year. ∎  [tr.] inf. persuade (someone) to do or assist in doing something: she recruited her children to help run the racket.• n. a person newly enlisted in the armed forces and not yet fully trained: 3,000 army recruits at Ft. Benjamin. ∎  a new member of an organization or a new supporter of a cause: after agreeing on a salary, the new recruit failed to turn up on Monday morning.DERIVATIVES: re·cruit·a·ble adj.re·cruit·er n.

recruit †reinforcement (abstr. and concr.) of troops; †pl. reinforcements, (hence) one of the men composing these, newly enlisted soldier. XVII. — F. dial. †recrute = F. recrue, sb. use of fem. pp. of recrotre increase again:- L. recrēscere, f. RE- + crēscere grow.
So recruit vb. reinforce; replenish; enlist new soldiers; recover health or vigour XVII; enlist (men) XIX. — F. recruter.