skulk vs washboard

skulk

verb
  • To move in a stealthy or furtive way; to come or go while trying to avoid detection. 

  • To avoid an obligation or responsibility. 

  • To stay where one cannot be seen, conceal oneself (often in a cowardly way or with the intent of doing harm). 

noun
  • The act of moving in a stealthy or furtive way. 

  • A stealthy or furtive gait or way of moving. 

  • A group of people seen as being fox-like (e.g. cunning, dishonest, or having nefarious plans). 

  • A group of foxes. 

  • The act of avoiding an obligation or responsibility. 

washboard

verb
  • To move up and down or back and forth across the surface of a hive, possibly to lay down a layer of propolis and wax. 

  • To play a washboard. 

  • To produce a rippled texture on a surface. 

noun
  • A stretch of ripples or bumps on a dirt or gravel road caused by interaction between traffic and road surface. 

  • A board fastened along a ship's gunwale to prevent splashing; a splashboard. 

  • Such a board used as a simple percussion instrument. 

  • A board with a corrugated surface against which laundry may be rubbed. 

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