pat vs pincushion

pat

verb
  • To hit lightly and repeatedly with the flat of the hand to make smooth or flat 

  • To stroke or fondle (an animal). 

  • To (gently) tap the flat of one's hand on a person or thing. 

  • To gently rain. 

adj
  • Exactly suitable, fitting, apt; timely, convenient, opportune, ready for the occasion; especially of things spoken. 

  • Trite, being superficially complete, lacking originality. 

adv
  • Opportunely, in a timely or suitable way. 

  • Perfectly. 

noun
  • A flattish lump of soft matter, especially butter or dung. 

  • The sound of a light slap or tap with a soft flat object, especially of a footstep 

  • A light tap or slap, especially with the hands 

pincushion

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. 

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

  • 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. 

  • 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. 

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