monotone vs treadmill

monotone

adj
  • Being, or having the salient properties of, a monotone function. 

  • Having a single unvaried pitch. 

noun
  • A piece of writing in one strain throughout. 

  • A single unvaried tone of speech or a sound. 

verb
  • To speak in a monotone. 

treadmill

verb
  • To exercise on a treadmill. 

  • To keep busy, for example with work or with other tasks, without being able to get ahead or make progress towards long-term goals. 

noun
  • A mill worked by horses, dogs, etc., treading an endless belt. 

  • A piece of indoor sporting equipment used to allow for the motions of running or walking while staying in one place. 

  • A mill worked by persons treading upon steps on the periphery of a wide wheel having a horizontal axis. It was used principally as a means of prison discipline. 

  • A process or situation in which continued effort leads to or is required for remaining at a particular state or level without moving ahead. 

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