beast of burden vs messenger

beast of burden

noun
  • A draught animal, such as a donkey, mule, llama, camel, horse, or ox, that carries or pulls a load for the benefit of a human. 

  • Any domesticated animal trained to perform tasks for humans, such as a herding dog or trained falcon. 

messenger

noun
  • A light line with which a heavier line may be hauled e.g. from the deck of a ship to the pier. 

  • The supporting member of an aerial cable (electric power or telephone or data). 

  • A pin which travels across the pin deck to knock over another pin, usually for a strike. 

  • A messenger-at-arms. 

  • An instant messenger program. 

  • A weight dropped down a line to close a Nansen bottle. 

  • A piece of paper, etc., blown up a string to a kite. 

  • The secretary bird. 

  • A person appointed to perform certain ministerial duties under bankrupt and insolvent laws, such as to take charge of the estate of the bankrupt or insolvent. 

  • One who brings messages. 

  • A forerunner. 

  • A light scudding cloud preceding a storm. 

verb
  • To send something by messenger. 

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