contend vs desert

contend

verb
  • To struggle or exert oneself to obtain or retain possession of, or to defend. 

  • To be in opposition; to contest; to dispute; to vie; to quarrel; to fight. 

  • To be in debate; to engage in discussion; to dispute; to argue. 

  • To believe (something is reasonable) and argue (for it); to advocate. 

  • contend with: To try to cope with a difficulty or problem. 

desert

verb
  • To leave (anything that depends on one's presence to survive, exist, or succeed), especially when contrary to a promise or obligation; to abandon; to forsake. 

  • To leave one's duty or post, especially to leave a military or naval unit without permission. 

adj
  • Usually of a place: abandoned, deserted, or uninhabited. 

noun
  • That which is deserved or merited; a just punishment or reward. 

  • A barren area of land or desolate terrain, especially one with little water or vegetation; a wasteland. 

  • Any barren place or situation. 

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