dry rot vs wasting

dry rot

noun
  • Any progression of decay, corruption, or obsolescence. 

  • The crumbly, friable decayed portions of wooden members of buildings, especially at or below grade, usually caused by a fungal infection. 

  • A fungal infection which affects plants, in particular potatoes. 

wasting

noun
  • Gradual deterioration or wasting away. 

  • The act by which something is laid waste; destruction. 

adj
  • Causing a waste, or wasting away; causing pronounced loss of body mass. 

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