Definitions of co-opt:

• verb:   take or assume for one's own use

  Example: "He co-opted the criticism and embraced it"

• verb:   appoint summarily or commandeer

  Example: "The army tried to co-opt peasants into civil defence groups"

• verb:   choose or elect as a fellow member or colleague

  Example: "The church members co-opted individuals from similar backgrounds to replenish the congregation"

• verb:   neutralize or win over through assimilation into an established group

  Example: "We co-opted the independent minority tribes by pulling them into the Northern Alliance"