benchmark vs mile marker

benchmark

noun
  • A surveyor's mark made on some stationary object and shown on a map; used as a reference point. 

  • A standard by which something is evaluated or measured. 

  • A computer program that is executed to assess the performance of the runtime environment. 

verb
  • To give certain results in a benchmark test. 

  • To use something (e.g., a competitor's product) as a standard to improve one's own thing. 

mile marker

noun
  • A numbered milepost or sign along a highway, or some other road, used to determine the location of a motor vehicle. 

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