flank vs hand

flank

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

  • 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 outermost strip of a road. 

  • 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. 

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. 

hand

noun
  • A side; part, camp; direction, either right or left. 

  • A bunch of bananas, a typical retail amount, where individual fruits are fingers. 

  • Power of performance; means of execution; ability; skill; dexterity. 

  • Management, domain, control. 

  • Applause. 

  • A bundle of tobacco leaves tied together. 

  • The set of cards held by a player. 

  • That which has the appearance of, a human hand. 

  • Four inches, a hand's breadth. 

  • A whole rhizome of ginger. 

  • Handwriting; style of penmanship. 

  • An instance of helping. 

  • A limb of certain animals, such as the foot of a hawk, or any one of the four extremities of a monkey. 

  • Personal possession; ownership. 

  • The small part of a gunstock near the lock, which is grasped by the hand in taking aim. 

  • Promise, word; especially of a betrothal. 

  • The part of the forelimb below the forearm or wrist in a human, and the corresponding part in many other animals. 

  • An index or pointer on a dial; such as the hour and minute hands on the face of an analog clock, which are used to indicate the time of day. 

  • An agent; a servant, or manual laborer; a workman, trained or competent for special service or duty. 

  • The feel of a fabric; the impression or quality of the fabric as judged qualitatively by the sense of touch. 

  • A round of a card game. 

  • A Native American gambling game, involving guessing the whereabouts of bits of ivory or similar, which are passed rapidly from hand to hand. 

  • A bunch of bananas. 

  • A person's autograph or signature. 

  • A performer more or less skilful. 

verb
  • To lead, guide, or assist with the hand; to conduct. 

  • To give, pass or transmit with the hand, literally or figuratively. 

  • To pledge by the hand; to handfast. 

  • To furl. 

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