defense vs retreat

defense

noun
  • The action of defending or protecting from attack, danger, or injury. 

  • Government policy or (infra)structure related to the military. 

  • A strategy and tactics employed to prevent the other team from scoring; contrasted with offense. 

  • The case presented by the defendant in a legal proceeding. 

  • The lawyer or team thereof who presents such a case. 

  • The portion of a team dedicated to preventing the other team from scoring; contrasted with offense. 

retreat

noun
  • Withdrawal by military force from a dangerous position or from enemy attack. 

  • A peaceful, quiet place affording privacy or security. 

  • The act of reversing direction and receding from a forward position. 

  • A bugle call or drumbeat signaling the lowering of the flag at sunset, as on a military base. 

  • A military ceremony to lower the flag. 

  • The move of a piece from a threatened position. 

  • A period of retirement, seclusion, or solitude. 

  • A period of meditation, prayer or study. 

  • The act of pulling back or withdrawing, as from something dangerous, or unpleasant. 

  • A signal for a military withdrawal. 

verb
  • To slope back. 

  • To withdraw military forces 

  • To shrink back due to generally warmer temperatures. 

  • To withdraw from a position, go back. 

  • a retreating forehead 

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