fee vs hire

fee

verb
  • To reward for services performed, or to be performed; to recompense; to hire or keep in hire; hence, to bribe. 

noun
  • A right to the use of a superior's land as a stipend for certain services to be performed, typically military service. 

  • An additional monetary payment charged for a service or good that is minor compared to the underlying cost. 

  • Synonym of fief: the land so held. 

  • An inheritable estate in land, whether absolute and without limitation to potential heirs (fee simple) or with limitations to particular kinds of heirs (fee tail). 

  • An inheritable estate in land held of a feudal lord on condition of performance of certain services, typically military service. 

hire

verb
  • To employ; to obtain the services of (a person) in exchange for remuneration; to give someone a job. 

  • To occupy premises in exchange for rent. 

  • To accept employment. 

  • To obtain the services of in return for fixed payment. 

  • To accomplish by paying for services. 

  • To exchange the services of for remuneration. 

  • (neologism) (in the Jobs-to-be-Done Theory) To buy something in order for it to perform a function, to do a job 

noun
  • Payment for the temporary use of something. 

  • A person who has been hired, especially in a cohort. 

  • The state of being hired, or having a job; employment. 

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