rub vs scarify

rub

verb
  • To be rubbed against something. 

  • To scour; to burnish; to polish; to brighten; to cleanse; often with up or over. 

  • To hinder; to cross; to thwart. 

  • To move (one object) while maintaining contact with another object over some area, with pressure and friction. 

  • To touch the jack with the bowl. 

  • To rub something against (a second thing). 

  • To spread a substance thinly over; to smear. 

noun
  • A loan. 

  • An act of rubbing. 

  • In the game of crown green bowls, any obstacle by which a bowl is diverted from its normal course. 

  • Any substance designed to be applied by rubbing. 

  • A mixture of spices applied to meat before it is barbecued. 

  • A difficulty or problem. 

scarify

verb
  • To make scratches or cuts on. 

  • To harrow the feelings. 

  • To remove thatch (build-up of organic matter on the soil) from a lawn, to dethatch. 

  • To break up, loosen, or roughen the surface of a field or road or a hard surface. 

  • To scratch, etch, burn, or cut designs into one's skin as a form of body modification. 

  • To damage the testa (seed coat) of a seed by cutting, scraping, chemicals, hot water, or fire to allow permeation of water and faster germination. 

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