register vs sign on

register

verb
  • To enter in a register; to enlist. 

  • To record, especially in writing. 

  • To sign-up, especially to vote. 

  • To make or adjust so as to be properly or precisely aligned. 

  • To voluntarily sign over for safe keeping, abandoning complete ownership for partial. 

  • To express outward signs. 

  • To buy the full version of trial software by providing one's details and payment. 

  • To make an impression. 

  • To record officially and handle specially. 

  • To place one's name, or have one's name placed in a register. 

  • To be in proper alignment; to align or correspond exactly. 

noun
  • A style of a language used in a particular context. 

  • A device that automatically records a quantity. 

  • The act of registering. 

  • An organ stop. 

  • One who registers or records; a registrar; especially, a public officer charged with the duty of recording certain transactions or events. 

  • The inner part of the mould in which types are cast. 

  • A grille at the outflow of a ventilation duct, capable of being opened and closed to direct the air flow. 

  • A small unit of very fast memory that is directly accessible to the central processing unit, and is mostly used to store inputs, outputs, or intermediate results of computations. 

  • A list of received calls in a phone set. 

  • A formal recording of names, events, transactions, etc. 

  • A distinct horizontal (or, more rarely, vertical) section of a work of art or inscription that is divided into several such sections. 

  • A book of such entries. 

  • The range of a voice or instrument. 

  • The part of a telegraphic apparatus that automatically records the message received. 

  • A certificate issued by the collector of customs of a port or district to the owner of a vessel, containing the description of a vessel, its name, ownership, and other material facts. It is kept on board the vessel, to be used as evidence of nationality or as a muniment of title. 

  • An entry in such a book. 

  • The exact alignment of lines, margins, and colors. 

sign on

verb
  • To join something, after signing. 

  • To begin broadcasting a radio or television signal, usually at the beginning of a broadcasting day and after being off the air for several hours. 

  • To commit oneself, as to a project, a goal, an organization, a cause. 

  • To apply to receive unemployment benefits. 

  • To log on; to start using a computer, radio, etc., or to start talking. 

noun
  • The time of day when a radio or television station begins broadcasting, usually after being off the air for several hours. 

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