act vs show

act

noun
  • A division of a theatrical performance. 

  • A product of a legislative body, a statute. 

  • A display of behaviour. 

  • A display of behaviour meant to deceive. 

  • Something done once and for all, as distinguished from a work. 

  • Any organized activity. 

  • A performer or performers in a show. 

  • A formal or official record of something done. 

  • The process of doing something. 

  • A thesis maintained in public, in some English universities, by a candidate for a degree, or to show the proficiency of a student. 

  • Something done, a deed. 

verb
  • Of a play: to be acted out (well or badly). 

  • To perform a theatrical role. 

  • To play (a role). 

  • To convey an appearance of being. 

  • To map via a homomorphism to a group of automorphisms (of). 

  • To feign. 

  • To do something. 

  • To have an effect (on). 

  • To behave in a certain manner for an indefinite length of time. 

  • To do something that causes a change binding on the doer. 

show

noun
  • A play, dance, or other entertainment. 

  • An exhibition of items. 

  • A broadcast program, especially a light entertainment program. 

  • A project or presentation. 

  • Mere display or pomp with no substance. (Usually seen in the phrases "all show" and "for show".) 

  • A battle; local conflict. 

  • The major leagues. 

  • A discharge, from the vagina, of mucus streaked with blood, occurring a short time before labor. 

  • Outward appearance; wileful or deceptive appearance. 

  • A demonstration. 

  • An agricultural show. 

  • A movie. 

verb
  • To guide or escort. 

  • To put in an appearance; show up. 

  • To have an enlarged belly and thus be recognizable as pregnant. 

  • To indicate (a fact) to be true; to demonstrate. 

  • To finish third, especially of horses or dogs. 

  • To reveal one's hand of cards. 

  • To bestow; to confer. 

  • To display, to have somebody see (something). 

  • To be visible; to be seen; to appear. 

How often have the words act and show occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )