identifier vs thing

identifier

noun
  • Something that identifies or uniquely points to something or someone else. 

  • One who identifies as a particular type or role; one who says and believes that they are a certain thing. 

  • A formal name used in source code to refer to a variable, function, procedure, package, etc. or in an operating system to refer to a process, user, group, etc. 

  • A primary key. 

  • Someone who identifies; a person who establishes the identity of someone or something. 

  • A guidebook that helps determine the specific class of an object (such as a mushroom, herb, fish, bird, drug, or mineral), or its individual identity (such as that of a star). 

  • A code that distinguishes a particular element from all other elements in a document. 

thing

noun
  • A word, symbol, sign, or other referent that can be used to refer to any entity. 

  • A public assembly or judicial council in a Germanic country. 

  • A unit or container, usually containing edible goods. 

  • A problem, dilemma, or complicating factor. 

  • Corporeal object. 

  • That which is considered to exist as a separate entity, object, quality or concept. 

  • A romantic relationship. 

  • Alternate form of ting. 

  • One's typical routine, habits, or manner. (Used in possessive constructions.) 

  • Used after a noun to refer dismissively to the situation surrounding the noun's referent. 

  • A genuine concept, entity or phenomenon; something that actually exists (often contrary to expectation or belief). 

  • An individual object or distinct entity. 

  • That which is favoured; personal preference. (Used in possessive constructions.) 

  • A living being or creature. 

  • A penis. 

  • Whatever can be owned. 

  • Girl; attractive woman. 

  • Clothes, possessions or equipment. 

  • That which matters; the crux. 

  • A romantic couple. 

verb
  • To express as a thing; to reify. 

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