flock vs scatter

flock

verb
  • To treat a pool with chemicals to remove suspended particles. 

  • To cover a Christmas tree with artificial snow. 

  • To coat a surface with dense fibers or particles; especially, to create a dense arrangement of fibers with a desired nap. 

  • To congregate in or head towards a place in large numbers. 

noun
  • A large number of animals associated together in a group; commonly used of sheep, but (dated) also used for goats, farmed animals, and a wide variety of animals. 

  • Very fine sifted woollen refuse, especially that from shearing the nap of cloths, formerly used as a coating for wallpaper to give it a velvety or clothlike appearance; also, the dust of vegetable fibre used for a similar purpose. 

  • A large number of people. 

  • A number of birds together in a group, such as those gathered together for the purpose of migration. 

  • Those served by a particular pastor or shepherd.herd/flock 

  • Coarse tufts of wool or cotton used in bedding. 

  • A religious congregation. 

  • A lock of wool or hair. 

scatter

verb
  • To distribute loosely as by sprinkling. 

  • To (cause to) separate and go in different directions; to disperse. 

  • Of a pitcher: to keep down the number of hits or walks. 

  • To deflect (radiation or particles). 

  • To occur or fall at widely spaced intervals. 

  • To frustrate, disappoint, and overthrow. 

  • To be dispersed upon. 

noun
  • The act of scattering or dispersing. 

  • A collection of dispersed objects. 

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