blockade vs siege

blockade

verb
  • To create a blockade against. 

noun
  • The ships or other forces used to effect a naval blockade. 

  • Inhibition of the activity (function) of chemical messengers or their receptors, such as (often) receptor antagonism. 

  • The physical blocking or surrounding of a place, especially a port, in order to prevent commerce and traffic in or out. 

  • Any form of formal isolation or inhibition of something, especially with the force of law or arms. 

  • Preventing an opponent's pawn moving by placing a piece in front of it. 

siege

verb
  • To assault or blockade a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by force or attrition; to besiege. 

noun
  • A period of struggle or difficulty, especially from illness. 

  • A prolonged military assault or a blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by force or attrition. 

  • A prolonged assault or attack. 

  • The seat of a heron while looking out for prey. 

  • A flock of heron. 

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