flank vs fringe

flank

noun
  • The outermost strip of a road. 

  • The flesh between the last rib and the hip; the side. 

  • The sides of a bastion perpendicular to the wall from which the bastion projects. 

  • The wing, one side of the pitch. 

  • That part of the acting surface of a gear wheel tooth that lies within the pitch line. 

  • A cut of meat from the flank of an animal. 

  • The side of something, in general senses. 

  • The extreme left or right edge of a military formation, army etc. 

verb
  • To be placed to the side(s) of something (usually in terms of two objects, one on each side). 

  • To defend the flank(s) of. 

  • To attack the flank(s) of. 

  • To place to the side(s) of. 

adj
  • Maximum. Historically faster than full speed (the most a vessel can sustain without excessive engine wear or risk of damage), now frequently used interchangeably. Typically used in an emergency or during an attack. 

fringe

noun
  • The periphery of a town or city (or other area). 

  • The area around the green 

  • A marginal or peripheral part. 

  • The peristome or fringe-like appendage of the capsules of most mosses. 

  • A light or dark band formed by the diffraction of light. 

  • Used attributively with reference to Aboriginal people living on the edge of towns etc. 

  • Those members of a political party, or any social group, holding unorthodox views. 

  • Synonym of bangs: hair hanging over the forehead, especially a hairstyle where it is cut straight across. 

  • A daypart that precedes or follows prime time. 

  • A decorative border. 

  • Non-mainstream theatre. 

verb
  • To serve as a fringe. 

  • To decorate with fringe. 

adj
  • Outside the mainstream. 

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