contrivance vs method

contrivance

noun
  • A means, such as an elaborate plan or strategy, to accomplish a certain objective. 

  • Something overly artful or artificial. 

  • A (mechanical) device to perform a certain task. 

method

noun
  • A process by which a task is completed; a way of doing something (followed by the adposition of, to or for before the purpose of the process). 

  • A technique for acting based on the ideas articulated by Konstantin Stanislavski and focusing on authentically experiencing the inner life of the character being portrayed. 

  • A subroutine or function belonging to a class or object. 

  • Marijuana. 

verb
  • To apply particular treatment methods to (a mold). 

  • To apply a method to. 

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