Abstract:

The term “sediment” is frequently used in the publications of geosciences. With literarily similar meaning, the terms “receiving sediments” and “accepting sediments” are generally mentioned in Chinese journals to describe the accumulation and migration of sediments, while the former can be seen with higher frequency. There is lack of consensus and it is always disputed that which term is more accurate among editors, authors and readers. This paper discusses the difference between the above-mentioned terms of “receive” and “accept” based on investigating their lexical meanings from several dictionaries, and elucidates the most appropriate way to refer to them. It concludes that the term “receiving sediments” is more accurate.

Key words: geoscience, sediment, receiving, accepting