lower vs major

lower

adj
  • bottom; more towards the bottom than the middle of an object 

  • Situated on lower ground, nearer a coast, or more southerly. 

  • older 

verb
  • To decrease in value, amount, etc. 

  • To reduce operations to single machine instructions, as part of compilation of a program. 

  • To reduce the degree, intensity, strength, etc., of 

  • To bring down; to humble 

  • (lower oneself) To humble oneself; to do something one considers to be beneath one's dignity. 

  • To let descend by its own weight, as something suspended; to let down 

  • To reduce the height of 

  • To depress as to direction 

  • to pull down 

  • To reduce (something) in value, amount, etc. 

  • To make less elevated 

  • To fall; to sink; to grow less; to diminish; to decrease 

major

adj
  • Greater in number, quantity, or extent. 

  • Prominent or significant in size, amount, or degree. 

  • Equivalent to that between the tonic and another note of a major scale, and greater by a semitone than the corresponding minor interval. 

  • Having a major third above the root. 

  • Of or relating to a subject of academic study chosen as a field of specialization. 

  • Bell changes rung on eight bells. 

  • Containing the major term in a categorical syllogism. 

  • Greater in dignity, rank, importance, significance, or interest. 

  • Of full legal age, having attained majority. 

  • (of a key) Based on a major scale, tending to produce a bright or joyful effect. 

  • Involving great risk, serious, life-threatening. 

  • Occurring as the predicate in the conclusion of a categorical syllogism. 

  • Notable or conspicuous in effect or scope. 

  • Having intervals of a semitone between the third and fourth, and seventh and eighth degrees. 

noun
  • A large, commercially successful company, especially a record label that is bigger than an indie. 

  • An officer in charge of a section of band instruments, used with a modifier. 

  • A system of change-ringing using eight bells. 

  • A touchdown, or major score. 

  • The principal subject or course of a student working toward a degree at a college or university. 

  • A student at a college or university specializing on a given area of study. 

  • A rank of officer in the army and the US air force, between captain and lieutenant colonel. 

  • A goal. 

  • A person of legal age. 

  • A large leaf-cutter ant that acts as a soldier, defending the nest. 

verb
  • Used in a phrasal verb: major in. 

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