black pepper vs peppercorn

black pepper

noun
  • The dried, unripe berries (peppercorns) of the Piper nigrum plant which are commonly used as a spice and seasoning. They are either used whole, or in a ground or crushed form. 

  • The plant Piper nigrum. 

peppercorn

noun
  • The seeds of the plant Piper nigrum. Commonly used as a spice, usually but not always ground or crushed. 

  • A small, insignificant quantity; a whit or jot. 

  • A nominal consideration used to satisfy the requirements for the creation of a legal contract. 

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