billet vs harbor

billet

noun
  • An allocated space or berth in a boat or ship. 

  • A short cutting of sugar cane produced by a harvester or used for planting. 

  • A sealed ticket for a draw or lottery. 

  • An ornament in Norman work, resembling a billet of wood, either square or round. 

  • A loop that receives the end of a buckled strap. 

  • Berth; position. 

  • A short piece of wood, especially one used as firewood. 

  • A strap that enters a buckle. 

  • A short informal letter. 

  • A written order to quarter soldiers. 

  • A rectangle used as a charge on an escutcheon. 

  • Temporary lodgings in a private residence, such as is organised for members of a visiting sports team. 

  • A place where a soldier is assigned to lodge. 

  • A semi-finished length of metal. 

verb
  • To lodge, or be quartered, in a private house. 

  • To direct, by a ticket or note, where to lodge. 

  • To lodge soldiers, or guests, usually by order. 

harbor

noun
  • A sheltered expanse of water, adjacent to land, in which ships may anchor or dock, especially for loading and unloading. 

  • Any place of shelter. 

  • A mixing box for materials. 

  • A harbor, even if it is a little harbor, is a good thing, since adventurers come into it as well as go out, and the life in it grows strong, because it takes something from the world, and has something to give in return - Sarah Orne Jewett 

verb
  • To take refuge or shelter in a protected expanse of water. 

  • To drive (a hunted stag) to covert. 

  • To hold or persistently entertain in one's thoughts or mind. 

  • To provide a harbor or safe place for. 

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