detachment vs legion

detachment

noun
  • The separation of a military unit from the main body for a particular purpose or special mission. 

  • A permanent unit organized for special duties. 

  • Indifference to the concerns of others; disregard; nonchalance; aloofness. 

  • The state of being detached or disconnected; insulation. 

  • The unit so dispatched. 

  • The action of detaching; separation. 

  • Absence of bias; impartiality; objectivity. 

  • Any smaller portion of a main body separately employed. 

legion

noun
  • A large military or semi-military unit trained for combat; any military force; an army, regiment; an armed, organized and assembled militia. 

  • The major unit or division of the Roman army, usually comprising 3000 to 6000 infantry soldiers and 100 to 200 cavalry troops. 

  • A combined arms major military unit featuring cavalry, infantry, and artillery, including historical units such as the British Legion, and present-day units such as the Spanish Legion and the French Foreign Legion. 

  • A national organization or association of former servicemen, such as the American Legion. 

  • A large number of people; a multitude. 

  • A great number. 

verb
  • To form into legions. 

adj
  • Numerous; vast; very great in number 

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