bloodletting vs massacre

bloodletting

noun
  • A circumstance, such as a battle, where a large amount of blood is likely to be spilled through violence. 

  • The archaic practice of treating illness by removing some blood, believed to be tainted, from the stricken person. 

  • The diminishment of any resource with the hope that this will lead to a positive effect. 

massacre

noun
  • The killing of a considerable number (usually limited to people) where little or no resistance can be made, with indiscriminate violence, without necessity, and contrary to civilized norms. 

  • St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre 

  • Any overwhelming defeat, as in a game or sport. 

verb
  • To win against (an opponent) very decisively. 

  • To perform (a work, such as a musical piece or a play) very poorly. 

  • To kill with great force or brutality. 

  • To kill in considerable numbers where little or no resistance can be made, with indiscriminate violence, without necessity, and contrary to civilized norms. (Often limited to the killing of human beings.) 

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