speckle vs stain

speckle

noun
  • A small spot or speck on the skin, plumage or foliage. 

  • Kind; sort. 

  • A cluster of interchromatin granules in a nucleus. 

  • The random distribution of light when it is scattered by a rough surface. 

verb
  • To mark with speckles. 

stain

noun
  • A discoloured spot or area. 

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

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

  • A blemish on one's character or reputation. 

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

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 speckle and stain occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )