dig vs stab

dig

verb
  • To thrust; to poke. 

  • To move hard-packed earth out of the way, especially downward to make a hole with a shovel. Or to drill, or the like, through rocks, roads, or the like. More generally, to make any similar hole by moving material out of the way. 

  • To get by digging; to take from the ground; often with up. 

  • To take ore from its bed, in distinction from making excavations in search of ore. 

  • To defend against an attack hit by the opposing team by successfully passing the ball 

  • To investigate, to research, often followed by out or up. 

noun
  • Digoxin. 

  • A defensive pass of the ball that has been attacked by the opposing team. 

  • A cutting, sarcastic remark. 

  • An archeological or paleontological investigation, or the site where such an investigation is taking place. 

  • A rare or interesting vinyl record bought second-hand. 

  • A thrust; a poke. 

  • The occupation of digging for gold. 

  • An innings. 

stab

verb
  • To thrust in a stabbing motion. 

  • To injure secretly or by malicious falsehood or slander. 

  • To pierce or to wound (somebody) with a (usually pointed) tool or weapon, especially a knife or dagger. 

  • To roughen a brick wall with a pick so as to hold plaster. 

  • To cause a sharp, painful sensation (often used with at). 

  • To pierce folded sheets, near their back edges, for the passage of thread or wire. 

  • To recklessly hit with the tip of a (usually pointed) object, such as a weapon or finger (often used with at). 

noun
  • The horizontal or vertical stabilizer of an aircraft. 

  • A wound made by stabbing. 

  • An act of stabbing or thrusting with an object. 

  • Pain inflicted on a person's feelings. 

  • Criticism. 

  • An attempt. 

  • A single staccato chord that adds dramatic impact to a composition. 

  • A bacterial culture made by inoculating a solid medium, such as gelatin, with the puncture of a needle or wire. 

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