abreast vs facing

abreast

adj
  • Side by side, facing forward. 

  • Up to a certain level or line; equally advanced 

  • Alongside; parallel to. 

  • Informed, well-informed, familiar, acquainted. 

  • Side by side; also, opposite; over against; on a line with the vessel's beam. 

prep
  • Abreast of; alongside. 

adv
  • Side by side and facing forward. 

  • Alongside; parallel to. 

  • Followed by of or with: up to a certain level or line; equally advanced. 

  • Informed, well-informed, familiar, acquainted. 

  • Side by side; also, opposite; on a line with the vessel's beam. 

  • Breast high (of an advancing wave). 

facing

adj
  • Positioned so as to face (in a particular direction) 

  • Diverging in the direction of travel. 

noun
  • Fabric applied to a garment edge on the underside. 

  • A powdered substance, such as charcoal or bituminous coal, applied to the face of a mould, or mixed with the sand that forms it, to give a fine smooth surface to the casting. 

  • The movement of soldiers by turning on their heels to the right, left, or about. 

  • The most external portion of exterior siding. 

  • The collar and cuffs of a military coat, commonly of a different colour from the rest of the coat. 

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