flank vs kerb

flank

noun
  • The outermost strip of a road. 

  • 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 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. 

verb
  • 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. 

  • To place to the side(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. 

kerb

noun
  • The raised edge between the pavement and the roadway, typically made of concrete though originally consisting of a line of kerbstones. 

  • A stone ring built to enclose and sometimes revet the cairn or barrow built over a chamber tomb. 

verb
  • To damage vehicle wheels or tyres by running into or over a pavement kerb. 

  • To take a dog to the kerb for the purpose of evacuating. 

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