preen vs strut

preen

verb
  • To show off, posture, or smarm. 

  • To spend time making oneself attractive and admiring one's appearance, e.g. in front of a mirror. 

  • To trim up, as trees. 

  • To improve the appearance of; groom; prettify. 

  • To flatter. 

  • To comb; to make orderly. 

  • To groom; to trim or dress with the beak, as the feathers. 

  • To pin; fasten. 

noun
  • bodkin; brooch 

  • A forked tool used by clothiers for dressing cloth. 

  • pin 

strut

verb
  • To walk across or on (a stage or other place) haughtily or proudly. 

  • Of a peacock or other fowl: to stand or walk stiffly, with the tail erect and spread out. 

  • To walk haughtily or proudly with one's head held high. 

  • To brace or support (something) by a strut or struts; to hold (something) in place or strengthen by a diagonal, transverse, or upright support. 

  • To be attached diagonally or at a slant; also, to be bent at a sharp angle. 

noun
  • A beam or rod providing support. 

  • An act of strutting (“bracing or supporting (something) by a strut or struts (sense 1); attaching diagonally; bending at a sharp angle”); specifically, deviation (of the spoke of a wheel) from the normal position. 

  • An instrument for adjusting the pleats of a ruff. 

  • A step or walk done stiffly and with the head held high, often due to haughtiness or pride; affected dignity in walking. 

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