pelt vs sweep

pelt

verb
  • To move rapidly, especially in or on a conveyance. 

  • Chiefly followed by at: to (continuously) throw (missiles) at. 

  • Especially of hailstones, rain, or snow: to beat down or fall forcefully or heavily; to rain down. 

  • To repeatedly beat or hit (someone or something). 

  • To remove the skin from (an animal); to skin. 

  • To force (someone or something) to move using blows or the throwing of missiles. 

  • Of a number of small objects (such as raindrops), or the sun's rays: to beat down or fall on (someone or something) in a shower. 

  • Chiefly followed by from: to remove (the skin) from an animal. 

  • To bombard (someone or something) with missiles. 

  • To assail (someone) with harsh words in speech or writing; to abuse, to insult. 

noun
  • A blow or stroke from something thrown. 

  • A tattered or worthless piece of clothing; a rag. 

  • The skin of an animal with the hair or wool on; either a raw or undressed hide, or a skin preserved with the hair or wool on it (sometimes worn as a garment with minimal modification). 

  • The fur or hair of a living animal. 

  • The skin of an animal (especially a goat or sheep) with the hair or wool removed, often in preparation for tanning. 

  • Human skin, especially when bare; also, a person's hair. 

  • A beating or falling down of hailstones, rain, or snow in a shower. 

  • An act of moving quickly; a rush. 

  • Anything in a ragged and worthless state; rubbish, trash. 

sweep

verb
  • To travel quickly. 

  • To clear (a body of water or part thereof) of mines. 

  • To defeat (a team) in a series without drawing or losing any of the games in that series. 

  • To carry with a long, swinging, or dragging motion; hence, to carry in a stately or proud fashion. 

  • To move something in a long sweeping motion, as a broom. 

  • To row with one oar to either the port or starboard side. 

  • To strike with a long stroke. 

  • To pass over, or traverse, with the eye or with an instrument of observation. 

  • To move through a (horizontal) arc or similar long stroke. 

  • To win (a series) without drawing or losing any of the games in that series. 

  • To clean (a surface) by means of a stroking motion of a broom or brush. 

  • To remove something abruptly and thoroughly. 

  • To brush the ice in front of a moving stone, causing it to travel farther and to curl less. 

  • To search (a place) methodically. 

  • To draw or drag something over. 

  • To play a sweep shot. 

  • To vacuum a carpet or rug. 

  • To brush against or over; to rub lightly along. 

noun
  • Any of several sea chubs in the family Kyphosidae (subfamily Scorpidinae). 

  • The compass of any turning body or of any motion. 

  • Violent and general destruction. 

  • The degree to which an aircraft's wings are angled backwards (or, occasionally, forwards) from their attachments to the fuselage. 

  • A flow of water parallel to shore caused by wave action at an ocean beach or at a point or headland. 

  • A long pole, or piece of timber, moved on a horizontal fulcrum fixed to a tall post and used to raise and lower a bucket in a well for drawing water. 

  • A lottery, usually on the results of a sporting event, where players win if their randomly chosen team wins. 

  • A person who stands at the stern of a surf boat, steering with a steering oar and commanding the crew. 

  • A single action of sweeping. 

  • The person who steers a dragon boat. 

  • A methodical search, typically for bugs (electronic listening devices). 

  • Direction or departure of a curve, a road, an arch, etc. away from a rectilinear line. 

  • A rowing style in which each rower rows with oar on either the port or starboard side. 

  • An expanse or a swath, a strip of land. 

  • A batsman's shot, played from a kneeling position with a swinging horizontal bat. 

  • In the game casino, the act of capturing all face-up cards from the table. 

  • A movable template for making moulds, in loam moulding. 

  • Any of the blades of a windmill. 

  • A chimney sweep. 

  • The sweepings of workshops where precious metals are worked, containing filings, etc. 

  • A large oar used in small vessels, partly to propel them and partly to steer them. 

  • A throw or takedown that primarily uses the legs to attack an opponent's legs. 

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