dabble vs stain

dabble

noun
  • A spattering or sprinkling of a liquid. 

  • An act of splashing in soft mud, water, etc. 

  • An act of participation in an activity in a casual or superficial way. 

verb
  • To feed without diving, by submerging the head and neck underwater to seek food, often also tipping up the tail straight upwards above the water. 

  • To make slightly wet or soiled by spattering or sprinkling a liquid (such as water, mud, or paint) on it; to bedabble. 

  • To participate or have an interest in an activity in a casual or superficial way. 

  • To cause splashing by moving a body part like a bill or limb in soft mud, water, etc., often playfully; to play in shallow water; to paddle. 

stain

noun
  • A substance used to soak into a surface and colour it. 

  • A reagent or dye used to stain microscope specimens so as to make some structures visible. 

  • A discoloured spot or area. 

  • Any of a number of non-standard tinctures used in modern heraldry. 

  • A blemish on one's character or reputation. 

verb
  • To cause to seem inferior or soiled by comparison. 

  • To coat a surface with a stain 

  • To treat (a microscopic specimen) with a dye, especially one that dyes specific features 

  • To taint or tarnish someone's character or reputation 

  • To discolour. 

  • To become stained; to take a stain. 

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