hitch vs shifter

hitch

noun
  • Any of various knots used to attach a rope to an object other than another rope. 

  • A fastener or connection point, as for a trailer. 

  • A large Californian minnow, Lavinia exilicauda. 

  • A problem, delay or source of difficulty. 

  • A sudden pull. 

  • A period of time spent in the military. 

  • A hidden or unfavorable condition or element. 

verb
  • To strike the legs together in going, as horses; to interfere. 

  • To attach, tie or fasten. 

  • To pull with a jerk. 

  • To marry oneself to; especially to get hitched. 

  • To become entangled or caught; to be linked or yoked; to unite; to cling. 

  • To move interruptedly or with halts, jerks, or steps; said of something obstructed or impeded. 

shifter

noun
  • A wire for changing a loop from one needle to another, as in narrowing, etc. 

  • A word whose meaning changes depending on the situation, as by deixis. 

  • A switcher or shunter: a railroad locomotive used for shunting. 

  • One who, or that which, shifts or changes. 

  • An assistant to the ship's cook in washing, steeping, and shifting the salt provisions. 

  • A component used by the rider to control the gearing mechanisms and select the desired gear ratio, usually connected to the derailleur by a mechanical actuation cable. 

  • An arrangement for shifting a belt sidewise from one pulley to another. 

  • A genre of erotica focusing on lycanthropes or other shapeshifters, such as werewolves. 

  • A spanner with an adjustable jaw size. 

  • A person who changes the reality their consciousness resides in, through meditation or other means. 

  • A person employed to repair the horseways and other passages, and keep them unobstructed. 

  • A shape-shifter, or a person or other being capable of changing their physical form. 

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