halter vs lifeline

halter

noun
  • A rope with a noose, for hanging criminals; the gallows rope. 

  • A bitless headpiece of rope or straps, placed on the head of animals such as cattle or horses to lead or tie them. 

  • One who halts or limps; a cripple. 

  • A halter top. 

verb
  • To place a halter on. 

lifeline

noun
  • A line to which a drowning or falling victim may cling. 

  • A particular crease in the palm. 

  • A line from the diver to a tender at the surface control point. 

  • A means or route for transporting indispensable supplies. 

  • System or structure of vital importance to a community. 

  • A source of salvation in a crisis. 

  • On the deck of a boat, a line to which one can attach oneself to stay aboard on rough seas. 

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