decimate vs erase

decimate

verb
  • To devastate: to reduce or destroy significantly but not completely. 

  • To replace a high-resolution model with another of lower but acceptable quality. 

  • To reduce to one-tenth: to destroy or remove nine-tenths of anything. 

  • To destroy or remove one-tenth of anything. 

erase

verb
  • To kill; assassinate. 

  • To remove a runner from the bases via a double play or pick off play 

  • To obliterate (information) from a storage medium, such as to clear or to overwrite. 

  • To obliterate information from (a storage medium), such as to clear or (with magnetic storage) to demagnetize. 

  • To disregard (a group, an orientation, etc.); to prevent from having an active role in society. 

  • to remove markings or information 

  • To be erased (have markings removed, have information removed, or be cleared of information). 

noun
  • The operation of deleting data. 

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