field vs matter in hand

field

verb
  • To answer; to address. 

  • To intercept or catch (a ball) and play it. 

  • To execute research (in the field). 

  • To place (a team, its players, etc.) in a game. 

  • To deploy in the field. 

  • The away team fielded two new players and the second-choice goalkeeper. 

  • To defeat. 

  • To be the team catching and throwing the ball, as opposed to hitting it. 

noun
  • The background of the shield. 

  • An area of memory or storage reserved for a particular value, subject to virtual access controls. 

  • Part (usually one half) of a frame in an interlaced signal 

  • The extent of a given perception. 

  • A region containing a particular mineral. 

  • A domain of study, knowledge or practice. 

  • The part of a coin left unoccupied by the main device. 

  • A section of a form which is supposed to be filled with data. 

  • A physical phenomenon (such as force, potential or fluid velocity) that pervades a region; a mathematical model of such a phenomenon that associates each point and time with a scalar, vector or tensor quantity. 

  • A commutative ring satisfying the field axioms. 

  • A place where competitive matches are carried out with figures, or playing area in a board game or a computer game. 

  • A place where a battle is fought; a battlefield. 

  • A realm of practical, direct or natural operation, contrasted with an office, classroom, or laboratory. 

  • A competitive situation, circumstances in which one faces conflicting moves of rivals. 

  • The background of the flag. 

  • The open country near or belonging to a town or city. 

  • A wide, open space that is used to grow crops or to hold farm animals, usually enclosed by a fence, hedge or other barrier. 

  • A component of a database in which a single unit of information is stored. 

  • An airfield, airport or air base; especially, one with unpaved runways. 

  • An unrestricted or favourable opportunity for action, operation, or achievement. 

  • The outfield. 

  • An area reserved for playing a game or race with one’s physical force. 

  • A land area free of woodland, cities, and towns; an area of open country. 

  • All of the competitors in any outdoor contest or trial, or all except the favourites in the betting. 

matter in hand

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