crook vs curb

crook

verb
  • To bend, or form into a hook. 

  • To turn from the path of rectitude; to pervert; to misapply; to twist. 

  • To become bent or hooked. 

noun
  • A small tube, usually curved, applied to a trumpet, horn, etc., to change its pitch or key. 

  • A pothook. 

  • A bent or curved part; a curving piece or portion (of anything). 

  • A bishop's standard staff of office. 

  • A bend; turn; curve; curvature; a flexure. 

  • An artifice; a trick; a contrivance. 

  • A person who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things; a criminal. 

  • A specialized staff with a semi-circular bend (a "hook") at one end used by shepherds to control their herds. 

  • A bending of the knee; a genuflection. 

adj
  • Ill, sick. 

  • Bad, unsatisfactory, not up to standard. 

  • Annoyed, angry; upset. 

curb

verb
  • To bend or curve. 

  • To rein in. 

  • To furnish with a curb, as a well; to restrain by a curb, as a bank of earth. 

  • To crouch; to cringe. 

  • To damage vehicle wheels or tires by running into or over a pavement curb. 

  • To check, restrain or control. 

  • To bring to a stop beside a curb. 

noun
  • Something that checks or restrains; a restraint. 

  • A swelling on the back part of the hind leg of a horse, just behind the lowest part of the hock joint, generally causing lameness. 

  • A concrete margin along the edge of a road; a kerb (UK, Australia, New Zealand) 

  • A riding or driving bit for a horse that has rein action which amplifies the pressure in the mouth by leverage advantage placing pressure on the poll via the crown piece of the bridle and chin groove via a curb chain. 

  • A sidewalk, covered or partially enclosed, bordering the airport terminal road system with adjacent paved areas to permit vehicles to off-load or load passengers. 

  • A raised margin along the edge of something, such as a well or the eye of a dome, as a strengthening. 

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