axe vs retain

axe

verb
  • To lay off, terminate or drastically reduce, especially in a rough or ruthless manner; to cancel. 

  • To furnish with an axle. 

  • To fell or chop with an axe. 

noun
  • A position, interest, or reason in buying and selling stock, often with ulterior motives. 

  • An ancient weapon consisting of a head that has one or two blades and a long handle. 

  • A dismissal or rejection. 

  • A tool for felling trees or chopping wood etc. consisting of a heavy head flattened to a blade on one side, and a handle attached to it. 

  • A drastic reduction or cutback. 

  • A gigging musician's particular instrument, especially a guitar in rock music or a saxophone in jazz. 

retain

verb
  • To hold back (a pupil) instead of allowing them to advance to the next class or year. 

  • To employ by paying a retainer. 

  • To keep in one's pay or service. 

  • To keep in possession or use. 

  • To hold secure. 

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