Is there meaning in fractal analyses?

We aim to clarify several fundamental terms used in fractal analysis and examine how the estimates of the fractal dimension can be made clearer to best serve as descriptive indices. The problem is essentially one of clarifying the semantics of the term 'fractal', since the syntax of calling something 'fractal' is often used with little regard to the principles underlying scaling theory. Towards this aim we discuss the use of language and the necessity to establish a linguistic base that serves as the template for communication across different disciplines.