parameter vs rule

parameter

noun
  • An actual value given to such a formal parameter. 

  • An input variable of a function definition, that gets an actual value (argument) at execution time. 

  • The ratio of the three crystallographic axes which determines the position of any plane. 

  • A characteristic or feature that distinguishes something from others. 

  • A variable that describes some system (material, object, event, etc.) or some aspect thereof. 

  • The fundamental axial ratio for a given species. 

  • A variable of a model that is trained by a machine learning algorithm. 

  • A value kept constant during an experiment, equation, calculation, or similar, but varied over other versions of the experiment, equation, calculation, etc. 

  • Any measured quantity of a statistical population that summarises or describes an aspect of the population. 

  • In the ellipse and hyperbola, a third proportional to any diameter and its conjugate, or in the parabola, to any abscissa and the corresponding ordinate. 

rule

noun
  • A determinate method prescribed for performing any operation and producing a certain result. 

  • A regulating principle. 

  • A ruler; device for measuring, a straightedge, a measure. 

  • A normal condition or state of affairs. 

  • A regulation, law, guideline. 

  • An order regulating the practice of the courts, or an order made between parties to an action or a suit. 

  • A straight line (continuous mark, as made by a pen or the like), especially one lying across a paper as a guide for writing. 

  • The act of ruling; administration of law; government; empire; authority; control. 

verb
  • To establish or settle by, or as by, a rule; to fix by universal or general consent, or by common practice. 

  • To regulate, be in charge of, make decisions for, reign over. 

  • To decide judicially. 

  • To mark (paper or the like) with rules (lines). 

  • To excel. 

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