apprentice vs operant

apprentice

noun
  • One who is bound by indentures or by legal agreement to serve a tradesperson, or other person, for a certain time, with a view to learn the art, or trade, in which his master is bound to instruct him. 

  • A trainee, especially in a skilled trade. 

verb
  • To put under the care and supervision of a master, for the purpose of instruction in a trade or business. 

  • To be an apprentice to. 

operant

noun
  • An operative person or thing. 

  • Any of a class of behaviors that produce consequences by operating (i.e., acting) upon the environment. 

adj
  • That operates to produce an effect. 

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