sting vs swab

sting

verb
  • To puncture with the stinger. 

  • To hurt, usually by introducing poison or a sharp point, or both. 

  • To hurt, to be in pain (physically or emotionally). 

  • To cause harm or pain to. 

noun
  • A sharp, localised pain primarily on the epidermis 

  • A police operation in which the police pretend to be criminals in order to catch a criminal. 

  • The thrust of a sting into the flesh; the act of stinging; a wound inflicted by stinging. 

  • A puncture made by an insect or arachnid in an attack, usually including the injection of venom. 

  • A brief sequence of music used in films, TV, and video games as a form of scenic punctuation or to identify the broadcasting station. 

  • The harmful or painful part of something. 

  • A pointed portion of an insect or arachnid used for attack. 

  • A short percussive phrase played by a drummer to accent the punchline in a comedy show. 

  • A bump left on the skin after having been stung. 

  • A goad; incitement. 

  • A support for a wind tunnel model which extends parallel to the air flow. 

  • The concluding point of an epigram or other sarcastic saying. 

  • A sharp-pointed hollow hair seated on a gland which secretes an acrid fluid, as in nettles. 

swab

verb
  • To use a swab on something, or clean something with a swab. 

noun
  • A sailor; a swabby. 

  • A naval officer's epaulet. 

  • A small piece of soft, absorbent material, such as gauze, used to clean wounds, apply medicine, or take samples of body fluids. Often attached to a stick or wire to aid access. 

  • A mop, especially on a ship. 

  • A piece of material used for cleaning or sampling other items like musical instruments or guns. 

  • A sample taken with a swab (piece of absorbent material). 

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