Recruit

Recruit: Recruit means to increase either in numbers or in health and strength. The latter definition was evidently popular in the 19th century where it was used by several journalists traveling to California. Recruit shares it etymology with crescent and crescendo, but only crescendo directly hints at the root meaning of increase. Crescent refers to the crescent moon, a waxing (increasing) moon.

We will stay here a few days to recruit our stock [cattle, horses and oxen].

A Book for Today: Ho for California edited by Sandra L Myers