gemmule vs sprout

gemmule

noun
  • Synonym of plumule (“the first bud, or growing point, of a plant embryo, situated above the cotyledons”) 

  • In the obsolete theory of pangenesis propounded by the English scientist Charles Darwin (1809–1882): a hypothetical particle once thought to be the basis of heredity. 

  • Synonym of dendritic spine (“a small membranous protrusion from the dendrite of a neuron that typically receives input from a single axon at the synapse”) 

sprout

noun
  • A new growth on a plant, whether from seed or other parts. 

  • A child. 

  • A Brussels sprout. 

  • A bean sprout. 

  • An edible germinated seed. 

verb
  • To emerge from the ground as sprouts. 

  • To emerge haphazardly from a surface. 

  • To emerge or appear haphazardly 

  • To cause to grow from a seed. 

  • To deprive of sprouts. 

  • To grow from seed; to germinate. 

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