cadence vs figure

cadence

noun
  • A dance move which ends a phrase. 

  • The number of steps per minute. 

  • A progression of at least two chords which conclude a piece of music, section or musical phrases within it. Sometimes referred to analogously as musical punctuation. 

  • A cadenza, or closing embellishment; a pause before the end of a strain, which the performer may fill with a flight of fancy. 

  • A fall in inflection of a speaker’s voice, such as at the end of a sentence. 

  • The number of strides per second of a racehorse, measured when the same foot/hoof strikes the ground 

  • The rhythm and sequence of a series of actions. 

  • The act or state of declining or sinking. 

  • The number of revolutions per minute of the cranks or pedals of a bicycle. 

  • The frequency of regular product releases. 

  • The general inflection or modulation of the voice, or of any sound. 

  • Balanced, rhythmic flow. 

  • A chant that is sung by military personnel while running or marching; a jody call. 

  • The measure or beat of movement. 

  • Harmony and proportion of movement, as in a well-managed horse. 

  • cadency 

verb
  • To give structure to. 

  • To give a cadence to. 

figure

noun
  • Any complex dance moveᵂ. 

  • A visible pattern as in wood or cloth. 

  • A number, an amount. 

  • A drawing or diagram conveying information. 

  • A human figure, which dress or corset must fit to; the shape of a human body. 

  • A form of melody or accompaniment kept up through a strain or passage; a motif; a florid embellishment. 

  • The form of a syllogism with respect to the relative position of the middle term. 

  • A figure of speech. 

  • The appearance or impression made by the conduct or career of a person. 

  • A person or thing representing a certain consciousness. 

  • A numeral. 

  • A horoscope; the diagram of the aspects of the astrological houses. 

  • Any short succession of notes, either as melody or as a group of chords, which produce a single complete and distinct impression. 

  • The representation of any form, as by drawing, painting, modelling, carving, embroidering, etc.; especially, a representation of the human body. 

  • A shape. 

verb
  • To represent by a metaphor; to signify or symbolize. 

  • To write over or under the bass, as figures or other characters, in order to indicate the accompanying chords. 

  • To calculate, to solve a mathematical problem. 

  • To enter into; to be a part of. 

  • To think, to assume, to suppose, to reckon. 

  • To embellish with design; to adorn with figures. 

  • To embellish. 

  • To come to understand. 

  • To be reasonable. 

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