operant vs patient

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. 

patient

noun
  • A person or animal who receives treatment from a doctor or other medically educated person. 

  • One who, or that which, is passively affected; a passive recipient. 

  • The noun or noun phrase that is semantically on the receiving end of a verb's action. 

adj
  • Willing to wait if necessary; not losing one's temper while waiting. 

  • Constant in pursuit or exertion; persevering; calmly diligent. 

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