helve vs lance

helve

noun
  • The handle or haft of a tool or weapon. 

  • A forge hammer lifted by a cam acting on the helve between the fulcrum and the head. 

verb
  • To furnish (an axe, etc.) with a helve. 

lance

noun
  • A weapon of war, consisting of a long shaft or handle and a steel blade or head; a spear carried by horsemen. 

  • One of the small paper cases filled with combustible composition, which mark the outlines of a figure. 

  • A lancet. 

  • A spear or harpoon used by whalers and fishermen. 

  • A small iron rod which suspends the core of the mold in casting a shell. 

  • A wooden spear, sometimes hollow, used in jousting or tilting, designed to shatter on impact with the opposing knight’s armour. 

  • A soldier armed with a lance; a lancer. 

  • An instrument which conveys the charge of a piece of ordnance and forces it home. 

verb
  • To throw in the manner of a lance; to lanch. 

  • To open with a lancet; to pierce. 

  • To pierce with a lance, or with any similar weapon. 

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