acting vs stopgap

acting

noun
  • Pretending. 

  • The occupation of an actor. 

  • Something done by a party — so called to avoid confusion with the legal senses of deed and action. 

adj
  • Temporarily assuming the duties or authority of another person when they are unable to do their job. 

stopgap

noun
  • Something spoken to fill up an uncomfortable pause in speech; a filled pause or filler. 

  • That which stops up or fills a gap or hole. 

  • A short-term fix or temporary measure used until something better can be obtained; that which serves as an expedient in an emergency; a band-aid solution. 

  • A person appointed or hired to fill a position temporarily until a permanent appointment or hire can be made; a temp. 

verb
  • To stop up or fill (a physical gap or hole, or a hiatus). 

  • To use something as a short-term fix or temporary measure until a better alternative can be obtained. 

  • To work at a position temporarily until a permanent appointment or hire is made. 

adj
  • Short-term; temporary. 

  • Filling a gap or pause. 

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