encircling vs flank

encircling

noun
  • encirclement 

adj
  • enclosing, skirting 

flank

noun
  • The sides of a bastion perpendicular to the wall from which the bastion projects. 

  • The flesh between the last rib and the hip; the side. 

  • The outermost strip of a road. 

  • The wing, one side of the pitch. 

  • That part of the acting surface of a gear wheel tooth that lies within the pitch line. 

  • A cut of meat from the flank of an animal. 

  • The side of something, in general senses. 

  • The extreme left or right edge of a military formation, army etc. 

verb
  • To be placed to the side(s) of something (usually in terms of two objects, one on each side). 

  • To defend the flank(s) of. 

  • To attack the flank(s) of. 

  • To place to the side(s) of. 

adj
  • Maximum. Historically faster than full speed (the most a vessel can sustain without excessive engine wear or risk of damage), now frequently used interchangeably. Typically used in an emergency or during an attack. 

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