it's a meaningful distinction. Think of it like a potato peeled by a peeler or by a knife. Both are peeled(eroded), but when observing the result you wouldn't miss that the process was different.
Glaciers erode by chunks, water by bits? But by being more specific and less poetic you start to introduce errors.
quatch t1_j41i040 wrote
Reply to comment by WesternOne9990 in Why are coastlines crinkly near the poles but smooth in the tropics? by emsot
it's a meaningful distinction. Think of it like a potato peeled by a peeler or by a knife. Both are peeled(eroded), but when observing the result you wouldn't miss that the process was different.
Glaciers erode by chunks, water by bits? But by being more specific and less poetic you start to introduce errors.