ladder vs succession

ladder

noun
  • A series of stages by which one progresses to a better position. 

  • A length of unravelled fabric in a knitted garment, especially in nylon stockings; a run. 

  • A frame, usually portable, of wood, metal, or rope, used for ascent and descent, consisting of two side pieces to which are fastened rungs (cross strips or rounds acting as steps). 

  • In the game of go, a sequence of moves following a zigzag pattern and ultimately leading to the capture of the attacked stones. 

  • The hierarchy or ranking system within an organization, such as the corporate ladder. 

verb
  • Of a knitted garment: to develop a ladder as a result of a broken thread. 

  • To ascend (a building, a wall, etc.) using a ladder. 

  • To arrange or form into a shape of a ladder. 

  • To close in on a target with successive salvos, increasing or decreasing the shot range as necessary. 

succession

noun
  • An act of following in sequence. 

  • In Roman and Scots law, the taking of property by one person in place of another. 

  • A group of rocks or strata that succeed one another in chronological order. 

  • A right to take possession. 

  • A race or series of descendants. 

  • A sequence of things in order. 

  • A passing of royal powers. 

  • Rotation, as of crops. 

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