path vs route

path

noun
  • A method or direction of proceeding. 

  • A slot available for allocation to a railway train over a given route in between other trains. 

  • Pathology. 

  • A sequence of vertices from one vertex to another using the arcs (edges). A path does not visit the same vertex more than once (unless it is a closed path, where only the first and the last vertex are the same). 

  • A metaphorical course or route; progress. 

  • A trail for the use of, or worn by, pedestrians. 

  • A continuous map f from the unit interval I=[0,1] to a topological space X. 

  • A course taken. 

  • A Pagan tradition, for example witchcraft, Wicca, druidism, Heathenry. 

  • A human-readable specification for a location within a hierarchical or tree-like structure, such as a file system or as part of a URL. 

verb
  • To navigate through a file system directory tree (to a desired file or folder). 

  • To make a path in, or on (something), or for (someone). 

route

noun
  • One of multiple methods or approaches to doing something. 

  • A specific entry in a router that tells the router how to transmit the data it receives. 

  • A course or way which is traveled or passed. 

  • One of the major provinces of imperial China from the Later Jin to the Song, corresponding to the Tang and early Yuan circuits. 

  • A race longer than one mile. 

  • A road or path; often specifically a highway. 

  • A regular itinerary of stops, or the path followed between these stops, such as for delivery or passenger transportation. 

verb
  • To direct or divert along a particular course. 

  • to connect two local area networks, thereby forming an internet. 

  • To send (information) through a router. 

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