sandglass vs timer

sandglass

noun
  • An instrument for measuring the passage of time by the passage of sand through a narrow opening. 

timer

noun
  • A device used to measure amounts of time. 

  • Any electronic function that causes a device to be able to do something automatically after a preset amount of time. 

  • A person who records the time elapsed in a sporting event. 

  • One who has done something a certain number of times. 

  • One characterized by a certain time or time frame, such as their work hours. 

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