attack vs shield

attack

noun
  • An attempt to detract from the worth or credibility of, a person, position, idea, object, or thing, by physical, verbal, emotional, or other assault. 

  • Any contact with the ball other than a serve or block which sends the ball across the plane of the net. 

  • The amount of time it takes for the volume of an audio signal to go from zero to maximum level (e.g. an audio waveform representing a snare drum hit would feature a very fast attack, whereas that of a wave washing to shore would feature a slow attack). 

  • The three attackmen on the field or all the attackmen of a team. 

  • A time in which one attacks; the offence of a battle. 

  • The beginning of active operations on anything. 

  • The sudden onset of a disease or condition. 

  • An attempt to cause damage, injury to, or death of opponent or enemy. 

  • Collectively, the bowlers of a cricket side. 

  • An attempt to exploit a vulnerability in a computer system. 

  • The onset of a musical note, particularly with respect to the strength (and duration) of that onset. 

  • An active episode of a chronic or recurrent disease. 

verb
  • To begin to affect; to act upon injuriously or destructively; to begin to decompose or waste. 

  • To bat aggressively, so as to score runs quickly. 

  • To aim balls at the batsman’s wicket. 

  • To aggressively challenge a person, idea, etc., with words (particularly in newspaper headlines, because it typesets into less space than "criticize" or similar). 

  • (Of a chemical species) To approach a chemical species or bond in order to form a bond with it. 

  • To apply violent force to someone or something. 

  • To set a field, or bowl in a manner designed to get wickets. 

  • To accelerate quickly in an attempt to get ahead of the other riders. 

  • To move forward in an active attempt to score a point, as opposed to trying not to concede. 

  • To deal with something in a direct way; to set to work upon. 

shield

noun
  • One who protects or defends. 

  • A large expanse of exposed stable Precambrian rock. 

  • A wide and relatively low-profiled volcano, usually composed entirely of lava flows. 

  • Parts at the front and back of a vehicle which are meant to absorb the impact of a collision 

  • A broad piece of defensive armor, held in hand, formerly in general use in war, for the protection of the body. 

  • A spot resembling, or having the form of a shield. 

  • A sign or symbol, usually containing numbers and sometimes letters, identifying a highway route. 

  • A framework used to protect workmen in making an adit under ground, and capable of being pushed along as excavation progresses. 

  • The escutcheon or field on which are placed the bearings in coats of arms. 

  • A field of energy that protects or defends. 

  • In lichens, a hardened cup or disk surrounded by a rim and containing the fructification, or asci. 

  • A police badge. 

verb
  • To protect, to defend. 

  • to protect from the influence of 

  • To shelter; to protect oneself. 

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