benchmark vs litmus

benchmark

noun
  • A standard by which something is evaluated or measured. 

  • A computer program that is executed to assess the performance of the runtime environment. 

  • A surveyor's mark made on some stationary object and shown on a map; used as a reference point. 

verb
  • To give certain results in a benchmark test. 

  • To use something (e.g., a competitor's product) as a standard to improve one's own thing. 

litmus

noun
  • A simple test of any attribute; a litmus test. 

  • A dyestuff extracted from certain lichens, that changes color when exposed to pH levels greater than or less than certain critical levels. 

  • A simple test of acidity in a liquid using litmus, usually in the form of litmus paper. 

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