attrition vs corrosion

attrition

noun
  • The gradual reduction in a tangible or intangible resource due to causes that are passive and do not involve productive use of the resource. 

  • A gradual, natural reduction in membership or personnel, as through retirement, resignation, or death. 

  • Grinding down or wearing away by friction. 

  • Imperfect contrition or remorse. 

  • The loss of participants during an experiment. 

  • The wearing of teeth due to their grinding. 

  • The loss of a first or second language or a portion of that language. 

verb
  • To reduce the number of (jobs or workers) by not hiring new employees to fill positions that become vacant (often with out). 

  • To undergo a reduction in number. 

  • To grind or wear down through friction. 

corrosion

noun
  • The gradual destruction or undermining of something. 

  • Erosion by chemical action, especially oxidation. 

  • A substance (such as rust) so formed. 

  • The act of corroding or the condition so produced. 

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