phase vs stage

phase

noun
  • The period of play between consecutive breakdowns. 

  • A component in a material system that is distinguished by chemical composition and/or physical state (solid, liquid or gas) and/or crystal structure. It is delineated from an adjoining phase by an abrupt change in one or more of those conditions. 

  • The arctangent of the quotient formed by dividing the imaginary part of a complex number by the real part. 

  • A distinguishable part of a sequence or cycle occurring over time. 

  • A particular appearance or state in a regularly recurring cycle of changes with respect to quantity of illumination or form, or the absence, of its enlightened disk. Illustrated in Wikipedia's article Lunar phase. 

  • Any one point or portion in a recurring series of changes, as in the changes of motion of one of the particles constituting a wave or vibration; one portion of a series of such changes, in distinction from a contrasted portion, as the portion on one side of a position of equilibrium, in contrast with that on the opposite side. 

  • In certain organisms, one of two or more colour variations characteristic of the species, but independent of the ordinary seasonal and sexual differences, and often also of age. 

  • A haplotype. 

  • That which is exhibited to the eye; the appearance which anything manifests, especially any one among different and varying appearances of the same object. 

  • Any appearance or aspect of an object of mental apprehension or view. 

  • In a polyphase electrical power system, one of the power-carrying conductors, or the alternating current carried by it. 

  • A distortion caused by a difference in the speed of propagation for different frequencies 

verb
  • To determine haplotypes in (data) when genotypes are known. 

  • To begin—if construed with "in"—or to discontinue—if construed with out—(doing) something over a period of time (i.e. in phases). 

  • Antique form of faze. 

  • To pass into or through a solid object. 

  • To use a phaser. 

stage

noun
  • A level; one of the sequential areas making up the game. 

  • A platform; a surface, generally elevated, upon which show performances or other public events are given. 

  • One of the portions of a device (such as a rocket or thermonuclear weapon) which are used or activated in a particular order, one after another. 

  • A floor or storey of a house. 

  • The number of an electronic circuit’s block, such as a filter, an amplifier, etc. 

  • A stagecoach, an enclosed horsedrawn carriage used to carry passengers. 

  • A place where anything is publicly exhibited, or a remarkable affair occurs; the scene. 

  • The succession of rock strata laid down in a single age on the geologic time scale. 

  • A phase. 

  • The place on a microscope where the slide is located for viewing. 

  • An internship. 

  • A platform, often floating, serving as a kind of wharf. 

  • A floor elevated for the convenience of mechanical work, etc.; scaffolding; staging. 

verb
  • To produce on a stage, to perform a play. 

  • To demonstrate in a deceptive manner. 

  • To orchestrate; to carry out. 

  • To place in position to prepare for use. 

  • To determine what stage (a disease, etc.) has progressed to 

  • To jettison a spent stage of a multistage rocket or other launch vehicle and light the engine(s) of the stage above it. 

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