hoop vs wreath

hoop

verb
  • To clasp; to encircle; to surround. 

  • To bind or fasten using a hoop. 

noun
  • The hoopoe. 

  • A circular band of metal used to bind a barrel. 

  • A ring; a circular band; anything resembling a hoop. 

  • A horizontal stripe on the jersey. 

  • A circle, or combination of circles, of thin whalebone, metal, or other elastic material, used for expanding the skirts of ladies' dresses; (hence, by extension) a hoop petticoat or hoop skirt. 

  • A quart pot; so called because originally bound with hoops, like a barrel. Also, a portion of the contents measured by the distance between the hoops. 

  • The game of basketball. 

  • The rim part of a basketball net. 

  • A circular band of metal, wood, or similar material used for forming part of a framework such as an awning or tent. 

  • A jockey. 

  • A hoop earring. 

  • An obstacle that must be overcome in order to proceed. 

  • A shout; a whoop, as in whooping cough. 

wreath

verb
  • To wrap around something in a circle. 

  • To place an entwined circle of flowers upon or around something. 

  • To curl, writhe or spiral in the form of a wreath. 

noun
  • An ornamental circular band made, for example, of plaited flowers and leaves, and used as decoration; a garland or chaplet, especially one given to a victor. 

  • An appendage to the shield, placed above it, and supporting the crest; an orle, a torse. It generally represents a twist of two cords of silk, one tinctured like the principal metal, the other like the principal color in the coat of arms. 

  • A defect in glass. 

  • Something twisted, intertwined, or curled. 

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