flank vs side

flank

verb
  • To place to the side(s) of. 

  • 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. 

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. 

noun
  • 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. 

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

side

verb
  • To lean on one side. 

  • To clear, tidy or sort. 

  • To work (a timber or rib) to a certain thickness by trimming the sides. 

  • To furnish with a siding. 

  • To ally oneself, be in an alliance, usually with "with" or rarely "in with" 

  • To provide with, as a side or accompaniment. 

adj
  • Indirect; oblique; incidental. 

  • Far; distant. 

  • Being on the left or right, or toward the left or right; lateral. 

noun
  • A region in a specified position with respect to something. 

  • A man who prefers not to engage in anal sex during same-sex sexual activity. 

  • One surface of a sheet of paper (used instead of "page", which can mean one or both surfaces.) 

  • A sports team. 

  • One possible aspect of a concept, person, or thing. 

  • A flat surface of a three-dimensional object; a face. 

  • One set of competitors in a game. 

  • A recorded piece of music; a record, especially in jazz. 

  • A dish that accompanies the main course; a side dish. 

  • A group of morris dancers who perform together. 

  • A group having a particular allegiance in a conflict or competition. 

  • The batters faced in an inning by a particular pitcher. 

  • A line of descent traced through a particular parent, as distinguished from that traced through another. 

  • One half (left or right, top or bottom, front or back, etc.) of something or someone. 

  • A written monologue or part of a scene to be read by an actor at an audition. 

  • The portion of the human torso usually covered by the arms when they are not raised; the areas on the left and right between the belly or chest and the back. 

  • Sidespin; english 

  • A bounding straight edge of a two-dimensional shape. 

adv
  • Widely; wide; far. 

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