show vs spectacle

show

noun
  • A play, dance, or other entertainment. 

  • An exhibition of items. 

  • A broadcast program, especially a light entertainment program. 

  • A project or presentation. 

  • Mere display or pomp with no substance. (Usually seen in the phrases "all show" and "for show".) 

  • A battle; local conflict. 

  • The major leagues. 

  • A discharge, from the vagina, of mucus streaked with blood, occurring a short time before labor. 

  • Outward appearance; wileful or deceptive appearance. 

  • A demonstration. 

  • An agricultural show. 

  • A movie. 

verb
  • To guide or escort. 

  • To put in an appearance; show up. 

  • To have an enlarged belly and thus be recognizable as pregnant. 

  • To indicate (a fact) to be true; to demonstrate. 

  • To finish third, especially of horses or dogs. 

  • To reveal one's hand of cards. 

  • To bestow; to confer. 

  • To display, to have somebody see (something). 

  • To be visible; to be seen; to appear. 

spectacle

noun
  • An exciting or extraordinary scene, exhibition, performance etc. 

  • An embarrassing or unedifying scene or situation. 

  • A frame with different coloured lenses on a semaphore signal through which light from a lamp shines at night, often a part of the signal arm. 

  • The brille of a snake. 

  • An optical instrument consisting of two lenses set in a light frame, worn to assist sight, or to protect the eyes from bright light. 

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