couple vs match

couple

noun
  • Two of the same kind connected or considered together. 

  • A small number. 

  • That which joins or links two things together; a bond or tie; a coupler. 

  • A couple-close. 

  • Two partners in a romantic or sexual relationship. 

  • One of the pairs of plates of two metals which compose a voltaic battery, called a voltaic couple or galvanic couple. 

  • A turning effect created by forces that sum to zero in magnitude but produce a non-zero external torque. 

adj
  • Two or (a) small number of. 

verb
  • To cause (two animals) to copulate, to bring (two animals) together for mating. 

  • To join in sexual intercourse; to copulate. 

  • To join (two things) together, or (one thing) to (another). 

det
  • Two or a few, a small number of. 

match

noun
  • A pair of items or entities with mutually suitable characteristics. 

  • A device made of wood or paper, at the tip coated with chemicals that ignite with the friction of being dragged (struck) against a rough dry surface. 

  • Any contest or trial of strength or skill, or to determine superiority. 

  • Equality of conditions in contest or competition. 

  • A candidate for matrimony; one to be gained in marriage. 

  • A competitive sporting event such as a boxing meet, a baseball game, or a cricket match. 

  • Equivalence; a state of correspondence. 

  • A marriage. 

  • Suitability. 

  • An agreement or compact. 

  • A perforated board, block of plaster, hardened sand, etc., in which a pattern is partly embedded when a mould is made, for giving shape to the surfaces of separation between the parts of the mould. 

  • Someone with a measure of an attribute equaling or exceeding the object of comparison. 

verb
  • To make a successful match or pairing. 

  • To agree; to be equal; to correspond. 

  • To equal or exceed in achievement. 

  • To agree with; to be equal to; to correspond to. 

  • To fit together, or make suitable for fitting together; specifically, to furnish with a tongue and groove at the edges. 

  • To be an example of a rule or regex. 

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