fee vs settlement

fee

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. 

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

settlement

noun
  • A disposition of property, or the act of granting it. 

  • The act of settling. 

  • A community of people living together, such as a hamlet, village, town, or city; a populated place. 

  • The state of being settled. 

  • A resolution of a dispute. 

  • A mutual agreement to end a dispute without resorting to legal proceedings, also known as an out-of-court settlement or settling out of court. 

  • The gradual sinking of a building. Fractures or dislocations caused by settlement. 

  • The delivery of goods by the seller and payment for them by the buyer, under a previously agreed trade or transaction or contract entered into. 

  • A settled place of abode; residence; a right growing out of legal residence. 

  • A colony that is newly established; a place or region newly settled (even in past times). 

  • A site where people used to live together in ancient times; an ancient simple kind of village. 

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