cowl vs gammon

cowl

noun
  • A ship's ventilator with a bell-shaped top which can be swivelled to catch the wind and force it below. 

  • A usually hood-shaped covering used to increase the draft of a chimney and prevent backflow. 

  • A caul (the amnion which encloses the foetus before birth, especially that part of it which sometimes shrouds a baby’s head at birth). 

  • A mask that covers the majority of the head. 

  • A monk. 

  • A vertical projection of a ship's funnel that directs the smoke away from the bridge. 

  • A thin protective covering over all or part of an engine; also cowling. 

  • A monk's hood that can be pulled forward to cover the face; a robe with such a hood attached to it. 

verb
  • To cover with, or as if with, a cowl (hood). 

  • To wrap or form (something made of fabric) like a cowl. 

  • To scrape together 

  • To make a monk of (a person). 

gammon

noun
  • A rope fastening a bowsprit to the stem of a ship (usually called a gammoning). 

  • Backgammon (the game itself). 

  • A victory in backgammon achieved when the opponent has not borne off a single stone. 

  • A cut of quick-cured pork leg. 

  • A middle-aged or older right-wing, reactionary white man, or such men collectively. 

verb
  • To lash with ropes (on a ship). 

  • To cure bacon by salting. 

  • To beat by a gammon (without the opponent bearing off a stone). 

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