letterbox vs trough

letterbox

noun
  • A rectangular hole or slot. 

  • A hidden container that holds a logbook and rubber stamp, found by following clues as a form of recreation. 

  • A delivery point for mail, a box, compartment or slot for this purpose. 

  • A collection point for mail intended for onward delivery, a secure box or receptacle for this purpose. 

adj
  • Transferred to home video formats while preserving the original aspect ratio, having black bars above and below the picture area. 

verb
  • To transfer a widescreen motion picture to home video formats while preserving the original aspect ratio, with the placing of black bars above and below the picture area. 

  • To hunt for letterboxes (containers with logbook and rubber stamp) by following clues. 

trough

noun
  • Any similarly shaped container. 

  • A gutter under the eaves of a building; an eaves trough. 

  • A linear atmospheric depression associated with a weather front. 

  • A long, narrow container, open on top, for feeding or watering animals. 

  • A rectangular container used for washing or rinsing clothes. 

  • A long, narrow depression between waves or ridges; the low portion of a wave cycle. 

  • A channel for conveying water or other farm liquids (such as milk) from place to place by gravity; any ‘U’ or ‘V’ cross-sectioned irrigation channel. 

  • A short, narrow canal designed to hold water until it drains or evaporates. 

  • low turning point or a local minimum of a business cycle 

verb
  • To eat in a vulgar style, as if from a trough. 

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