figure vs speak

figure

noun
  • A figure of speech. 

  • 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. 

  • 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. 

  • Any complex dance moveᵂ. 

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. 

speak

noun
  • Speech, conversation. 

  • language, jargon, or terminology used uniquely in a particular environment or group. 

verb
  • To communicate with one's voice, to say words out loud. 

  • To understand (as though it were a language). 

  • To have a conversation. 

  • To utter. 

  • To produce a sound; to sound. 

  • To be able to communicate in a language. 

  • Of a bird, to be able to vocally reproduce words or phrases from a human language. 

  • To deliver a message to a group; to deliver a speech. 

  • To be able to communicate in the manner of specialists in a field. 

  • To communicate or converse by some means other than orally, such as writing or facial expressions. 

  • To communicate (some fact or feeling); to bespeak, to indicate. 

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