In this assignment, you will do some preliminary research on a word that you are considering researching further for your definition essay. (You do not have to commit to this word now and are welcome to change it later.) If the word you have chosen is not an English word, then choose an English gloss or translation of that word for this assignment. For example, if you have chosen the Spanish wordlavar, you would research its English gloss 'wash.' (You may still use the non-English form in your essay, however.) After you have chosen your word for this assignment, also choose a synonym of that word to compare it to. In the case ofwash, for example, you might choosebathe.

1. Compare the two words using the Google Books Ngram Viewer. Which of the two words is currently used more often? How much more common is it? Has this word always been more common than the other?
2. Using COCA, compare the most common collocates of the two words. Which collocates do they share? Which collocates belong to one word but not the other. (You do not need to list all of them, but you should list at least a few.)
3. Report what you learned from your research.