dregs vs surplus

dregs

noun
  • The worst and lowest part of something. 

  • The sediment settled at the bottom of a liquid; the lees in a container of unfiltered wine. 

surplus

adj
  • Being or constituting a surplus; more than sufficient. 

noun
  • Specifically, an amount in the public treasury at any time greater than is required for the ordinary purposes of the government. 

  • The remainder of a fund appropriated for a particular purpose. 

  • That which remains when use or need is satisfied, or when a limit is reached; excess; overplus. 

  • assets left after liabilities and debts, including capital stock have been deducted. 

verb
  • To treat as surplus to requirements; to sell off or dismiss from employment, etc. 

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