ply vs serve

ply

verb
  • To wield or use (a tool, a weapon, etc.) steadily or vigorously. 

  • To work at (something) diligently. 

  • To press upon; to urge persistently. 

  • To persist in offering something to, especially for the purpose of inducement or persuasion. 

  • To travel over (a route) regularly. 

  • To bend, to flex; to be bent by something, to give way or yield (to a force, etc.). 

noun
  • In two-player sequential games, a "half-turn" or a move made by one of the players. 

  • A layer of material. 

  • A bent; a direction. 

  • A strand that, twisted together with other strands, makes up rope or yarn. 

  • A condition, a state. 

serve

verb
  • To work, to operate (a weapon). 

  • To be useful to; to meet the needs of. 

  • To be a servant or worker; to perform the duties of a servant or employee; to render service. 

  • To officially deliver (a legal notice, summons etc.). 

  • To be a servant for; to work for, to be employed by. 

  • To be a formal servant for (a god or deity); to worship in an official capacity. 

  • To attractively display something (especially a body part) as part of one's personal appearance. 

  • To wind spun yarn etc. tightly around (a rope or cable, etc.) so as to protect it from chafing or from the weather. 

  • To lead off with the first delivery over the net in tennis, volleyball, ping pong, badminton etc. 

  • To perform (a public obligation). 

  • To set down (food or drink) on the table to be eaten; to bring (food, drink) to a person. 

  • To copulate with (of male animals); to cover. 

  • To present an attractive personal appearance. 

  • To usefully take the place as, instead of something else. 

  • To provide crack cocaine (to), usually by selling, dealing, or distributing. 

  • To have a given use or purpose; to function for something or to do something. 

  • To work through (a given period of time in prison, a sentence). 

  • To evoke something (especially a person) with one's personal appearance. 

  • To be in military service. 

  • To make legal service upon (a person named in a writ, summons, etc.) 

  • To wait upon (someone) at table; to set food and drink in front of, to help (someone) to food, meals etc. 

noun
  • An impressive presentation (especially of a person's appearance). 

  • An act of putting the ball or shuttlecock in play in various games. 

  • A portion of food or drink, a serving. 

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