dwell vs wander

dwell

verb
  • To linger on a particular thought, idea, etc.; to remain fixated on something. 

  • To abide; to remain; to continue. 

  • To live; to reside. 

  • To be in a given state. 

noun
  • In a petrol engine, the period of time the ignition points are closed to let current flow through the ignition coil in between each spark. This is measured as an angle in degrees around the camshaft in the distributor which controls the points, for example in a 4-cylinder engine it might be 55° (spark at 90° intervals, points closed for 55° between each). 

  • A brief pause in the motion of part of a mechanism to allow an operation to be completed. 

  • A planned delay in a timed control program. 

  • A period of time in which a system or component remains in a given state. 

wander

verb
  • Of the mind, to lose focus or clarity of argument or attention. 

  • To go somewhere indirectly or at varying speeds; to move in a curved path. 

  • To move without purpose or specified destination; often in search of livelihood. 

  • To stray; stray from one's course; err. 

  • To commit adultery. 

noun
  • An act or instance of wandering. 

  • The situation where a value or signal etc. deviates from the correct or normal value. 

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