connect vs shorten

connect

verb
  • To join (to another object): to attach, or to be intended to attach or capable of attaching, to another object. 

  • To join an electrical or telephone line to a circuit or network. 

  • To make a travel connection; to switch from one means of transport to another as part of the same trip. 

  • To join: to attach, or to be intended to attach or capable of attaching, to each other. 

  • To join (two other objects), or to join (one object) to (another object): to be a link between two objects, thereby attaching them to each other. 

  • To join (two other objects), or to join (one object) to (another object): to take one object and attach it to another. 

  • To arrive at an intended target; to land. 

  • To associate; to establish a relation between. 

noun
  • A useful friend or associate. 

  • A drug dealer. 

shorten

verb
  • To take in the slack of (a rope). 

  • To reduce or diminish in amount, quantity, or extent; to lessen. 

  • To reduce (sail) by taking it in. 

  • To become shorter. 

  • To make shorter; to abbreviate. 

  • To make short or friable, as pastry, with butter, lard, etc. 

  • To make deficient (as to); to deprive (of). 

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