flank vs skirt

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. 

skirt

verb
  • To be on or form the border of. 

  • To avoid or ignore (something); to manage to avoid (something or a problem); to skate by (something). 

  • To move around or along the border of; to avoid the center of. 

  • To cover with a skirt; to surround. 

noun
  • An article of clothing, usually worn by women and girls, that hangs from the waist and covers the lower part of the body. 

  • The part of a dress or robe, etc., that hangs below the waist. 

  • Border; edge; margin; extreme part of anything. 

  • The diaphragm, or midriff, in animals 

  • A petticoat. 

  • Women collectively, in a sexual context. 

  • A woman. 

  • Sexual intercourse with a woman. 

  • A loose edging to any part of a dress. 

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