The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Recruit \Re*cruit"\, v. i.
   1. To gain new supplies of anything wasted; to gain health,
      flesh, spirits, or the like; to recuperate; as, lean
      cattle recruit in fresh pastures.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To gain new supplies of men for military or other service;
      to raise or enlist new soldiers; to enlist troops.
      [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Recruit \Re*cruit"\, n.
   1. A supply of anything wasted or exhausted; a reenforcement.
      [1913 Webster]

            The state is to have recruits to its strength, and
            remedies to its distempers.           --Burke.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. Specifically, a man enlisted for service in the army; a
      newly enlisted soldier.
      [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Recruit \Re*cruit"\ (r?*kr?t"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Recruited;
   p. pr. & vb. n. Recruiting.] [F. recruter, corrupted (under
   influence of recrue recruiting, recruit, from recro[^i]/tre,
   p. p. recr[^u], to grow again) from an older recluter,
   properly, to patch, to mend (a garment); pref. re- + OF. clut
   piece, piece of cloth; cf. Icel. kl[=u]tr kerchief, E.
   clout.]
   1. To repair by fresh supplies, as anything wasted; to remedy
      lack or deficiency in; as, food recruits the flesh; fresh
      air and exercise recruit the spirits.
      [1913 Webster]

            Her cheeks glow the brighter, recruiting their
            color.                                --Glanvill.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. Hence, to restore the wasted vigor of; to renew in
      strength or health; to reinvigorate.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. To supply with new men, as an army; to fill up or make up
      by enlistment; as, he recruited two regiments; the army
      was recruited for a campaign; also, to muster; to enlist;
      as, he recruited fifty men. --M. Arnold.
      [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

recruit
    n 1: a recently enlisted soldier [syn: recruit, military
         recruit]
    2: any new member or supporter (as in the armed forces) [syn:
       recruit, enlistee]
    v 1: register formally as a participant or member; "The party
         recruited many new members" [syn: enroll, inscribe,
         enter, enrol, recruit]
    2: seek to employ; "The lab director recruited an able crew of
       assistants"
    3: cause to assemble or enlist in the military; "raise an army";
       "recruit new soldiers" [syn: recruit, levy, raise]

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

184 Moby Thesaurus words for "recruit":
   abecedarian, accommodate, add to, afford, alphabetarian,
   apprentice, arriviste, articled clerk, augment, baby,
   beat the drums, beginner, bespeak, book, boot, brace up, brief,
   bring back, bring to, call back, call to arms, call up, catechumen,
   clothe, commandeer, conscript, contribute, convalesce, deb,
   debutant, detach, detach for service, donate, draft, drafted man,
   draftee, emigrant, employ, endow, engage, enlist, enlistee, enroll,
   enrollee, entrant, fill, fill up, find, fledgling, fortify,
   freshman, fund, furnish, gain strength, gate-crasher, get back,
   get better, give, give back, greenhorn, greeny, hire, ignoramus,
   immigrant, impress, improve, increase, induct, inductee, infant,
   initiate, intruder, invest, join, keep, learner, levy, list,
   maintain, make available, make provision for, mend, mobilize,
   muster, muster in, neophyte, nestling, new arrival, new boy,
   newcomer, novice, novitiate, novus homo, parvenu, perk up, pick up,
   place in, postulant, preengage, prepare, present, press,
   probationer, probationist, provide, provide for, put back, raise,
   rally, raw recruit, reactivate, reanimate, rebuild, recall to life,
   recharge, reconstitute, reconvert, recoup, recuperate, reenact,
   reestablish, refill, reform, refresh, regain, regenerate,
   rehabilitate, reheat the ashes, reinforce, reinspire, reinstall,
   reinstate, reinstitute, reintegrate, reinvest, rejuvenate,
   rekindle, relight, renew, renovate, repair, replace, replenish,
   repossess, reserve, restore, resurrect, resuscitate, retain,
   retrieve, return, revest, revitalize, revive, revivify, rewarm,
   rookie, selectee, settler, sign on, sign up, sign up for,
   sleep it off, squatter, stir the embers, stock, store, stowaway,
   strengthen, subsidize, summon, supplement, supply, support,
   take into employment, take on, tenderfoot, trainee,
   turn the corner, tyro, upstart, warm over, warm up, yield



Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856):

RECRUIT. A newly made soldier.



The Devil's Dictionary (1881-1906):

RECRUIT, n.  A person distinguishable from a civilian by his uniform
and from a soldier by his gait.

    Fresh from the farm or factory or street,
    His marching, in pursuit or in retreat,
        Were an impressive martial spectacle
    Except for two impediments -- his feet.
                                                      Thompson Johnson