mean vs promise

mean

verb
  • To have conviction in (something said or expressed); to be sincere in (what one says). 

  • To be of some level of importance. 

  • To have as intentions of a given kind. 

  • To intend an ensuing comment or statement as an explanation.https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/i_mean%20I%20mean 

  • To cause or produce (a given result); to bring about (a given result). 

  • Of a word, symbol etc: to have reference to, to signify. 

  • Of a person (or animal etc): to intend to express, to imply, to hint at, to allude. 

  • To intend (something) for a given purpose or fate; to predestine. 

  • To intend, to plan (to do); to have as one's intention. 

  • To lament. 

  • To convey (a given sense); to signify, or indicate (an object or idea). 

adj
  • Intending to cause harm, successfully or otherwise; bearing ill will towards another. 

  • Low in quality or degree; inferior; poor; shabby. 

  • Having the mean (see noun below) as its value; average. 

  • Disobliging; pettily offensive or unaccommodating. 

  • Ungenerous; stingy; tight-fisted. 

  • Accomplished with great skill; deft; hard to compete with. 

  • Of a common or low origin, grade, or quality; common; humble. 

  • Of little value or worth; worthy of little or no regard; contemptible; despicable. 

  • Powerful; fierce; strong. 

  • Without dignity of mind; destitute of honour; low-minded; spiritless; base. 

  • Difficult, tricky. 

noun
  • The middle part of three-part polyphonic music; now specifically, the alto part in polyphonic music; an alto instrument. 

  • Something which is intermediate or in the middle; an intermediate value or range of values; a medium. 

  • The average of a set of values, calculated by summing them together and dividing by the number of terms; the arithmetic mean. 

  • Any function of multiple variables that satisfies certain properties and yields a number representative of its arguments; or, the number so yielded; a measure of central tendency. 

  • Either of the two numbers in the middle of a conventionally presented proportion, as 2 and 3 in 1:2=3:6. 

  • A method or course of action used to achieve some result. 

promise

verb
  • To commit to (some action or outcome), or to assure (a person) of such commitment; to make an oath or vow. 

  • To give grounds for expectation, especially of something good. 

noun
  • A transaction between two persons whereby the first person undertakes in the future to render some service or gift to the second person or devotes something valuable now and here to his use. 

  • A placeholder object representing the eventual result of an asynchronous operation. 

  • Reason to expect improvement or success; potential. 

  • an oath or affirmation; a vow 

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