palm vs pincushion

palm

noun
  • A metallic disk attached to a strap and worn in the palm of the hand; used to push the needle through the canvas, in sewing sails, etc. 

  • The inner and somewhat concave part of the human hand that extends from the wrist to the bases of the fingers. 

  • The broad flattened part of an antler, as of a full-grown fallow deer; so called as resembling the palm of the hand with its protruding fingers. 

  • Synonym of hand, any of various units of length notionally derived from the breadth of the palm, formalized in England as 4 inches and now chiefly used for the height of horses 

  • Any of various units of length notionally derived from the length of the palm from the wrist to the base of the fingers. 

  • The flat inner face of an anchor fluke. 

  • A branch or leaf of the palm, anciently borne or worn as a symbol of victory or rejoicing. 

  • Any of various evergreen trees from the family Palmae or Arecaceae, which are mainly found in the tropics. 

  • Any of 23 awards that can be earned after obtaining the Eagle Scout rank, but generally only before turning 18 years old. 

  • The corresponding part of the forefoot of a lower mammal. 

  • Triumph; victory. 

verb
  • To hold something without bending the fingers significantly. 

  • To move something with the palm of the hand. 

  • To hold or conceal something in the palm of the hand, e.g, for an act of sleight of hand or to steal something. 

pincushion

noun
  • A device, originally like a small, stuffed cushion, designed to have sewing pins and needles stuck into it to store them safely; some modern pincushions hold the objects magnetically. 

  • The pincushionplant, a flowering plant in the genus Navarretia. 

  • A flowering plant in the genus Leucospermum. 

  • The dustymaiden, a flowering plant in the genus Chaenactis. 

  • A person who is pricked or stabbed multiple times with sharp objects; specifically, someone who receives regular hypodermic needle injections. 

  • The coral bead plant, coral moss, or English baby tears (Nertera granadensis), an ornamental plant. 

  • A flowering plant in the genus Scabiosa. 

  • The pincushion cactus, of the genera Escobaria or Mammillaria. 

verb
  • To jab or stick repeatedly with one or more sharp objects, as with pins into a pincushion. 

  • To assume the shape of a pincushion; specifically, of the image on a computer display, television, etc., to exhibit pincushion distortion, where the sides curve inwards. 

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