evergreen vs passing

evergreen

verb
  • To extend the term of a patent beyond the normal legal limit, usually through repeated small modifications. 

  • To set the repayment rate of a loan at or below the interest rate, so low that the principal will never be repaid. 

adj
  • Being a clause which causes an automatic renewal of a contract unless action is taken. 

  • Of a document, a piece of software, or a dataset, being continually up-to-date (as opposed to being published at regular intervals and outdated in the meantime) 

  • Of plants, especially trees, that do not shed their leaves seasonally. 

  • Suitable for transmission at any time; not urgent or time-dependent. 

noun
  • A shrub or tree that does not shed its leaves or needles seasonally. 

  • A conifer tree. 

  • A news story that can be published or broadcast at any time. 

passing

noun
  • The act of passing a ball etc. to another player. 

  • A form of juggling where several people pass props between each other, usually clubs or rings. 

  • The ability of a person to be regarded as a member of an identity group or category different from their own. 

  • The fact of going past; a movement from one place to another or a change from one state to another. 

  • Death, dying; the end of something. 

  • The act of approving a bill etc. 

adj
  • Vague, cursory. 

  • Going past. 

  • That passes away; ephemeral. 

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