decay vs virtue

decay

noun
  • A deterioration of condition; loss of status or fortune. 

  • The process or result of being gradually decomposed. 

  • The situation, in programming languages such as C, where an array loses its type and dimensions and is reduced to a pointer, for example by passing it to a function. 

verb
  • To undergo bit rot, that is, gradual degradation. 

  • To deteriorate, to get worse, to lose strength or health, to decline in quality. 

  • To undergo optical decay, that is, to relax to a less excited state, usually by emitting a photon or phonon. 

  • Loss of airspeed due to drag. 

  • To undergo software rot, that is, to fail to be updated in a changing environment, so as to eventually become legacy or obsolete. 

  • To change by undergoing fission, by emitting radiation, or by capturing or losing one or more electrons; to undergo radioactive decay. 

  • To cause to rot or deteriorate. 

  • Of an array: to lose its type and dimensions and be reduced to a pointer, for example when passed to a function. 

  • To rot, to go bad. 

  • To undergo prolonged reduction in altitude (above the orbited body). 

virtue

noun
  • A particular manifestation of moral excellence in a person; an admirable quality. 

  • A creature embodying divine power, specifically one of the orders of heavenly beings, traditionally ranked above angels and below archangels. 

  • Accordance with moral principles; conformity of behaviour or thought with the strictures of morality; good moral conduct. 

  • Specifically, each of several qualities held to be particularly important, including the four cardinal virtues, the three theological virtues, or the seven virtues opposed to the seven deadly sins. 

  • An inherently advantageous or excellent quality of something or someone; a favourable point, an advantage. 

  • Specifically, moral conduct in sexual behaviour, especially of women; chastity. 

  • The inherent power or efficacy of something (now only in phrases). 

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