desert vs operate

desert

verb
  • To leave (anything that depends on one's presence to survive, exist, or succeed), especially when contrary to a promise or obligation; to abandon; to forsake. 

  • To leave one's duty or post, especially to leave a military or naval unit without permission. 

noun
  • That which is deserved or merited; a just punishment or reward. 

  • A barren area of land or desolate terrain, especially one with little water or vegetation; a wasteland. 

  • Any barren place or situation. 

adj
  • Usually of a place: abandoned, deserted, or uninhabited. 

operate

verb
  • To put into, or to continue in, operation or activity; to work. 

  • To deal in stocks or any commodity with a view to speculative profits. 

  • To perform some manual act upon a human body in a methodical manner, and usually with instruments, with a view to restore soundness or health, as in amputation, lithotomy, etc. 

  • To act or produce effect on the mind; to exert moral power or influence. 

  • To perform a work or labour; to exert power or strength, physical or mechanical; to act. 

  • To produce, as an effect; to cause. 

  • To produce an appropriate physical effect; to issue in the result designed by nature; especially (medicine) to take appropriate effect on the human system. 

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