clockwork vs recurrent

clockwork

adj
  • Very smooth and regular. 

  • Driven by clockwork. 

noun
  • A mechanism powered by a coiled spring and regulated by some form of escapement; the power is transmitted through toothed gearwheels and used to drive a mechanical clock, toy, or other device. 

  • The action of behaving mechanically in the manner of a clock. 

recurrent

adj
  • Non-transient. 

  • Turned back toward the base. 

  • Running back toward its origin. 

  • Recurring; happening time after time. 

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