Are there terms that you think are poorly or improperly used by the general public or people you know?

I agree with you about the word "aggressive". I took my pit mix to obedience school when she was about three and immediately told the trainers that she was "dog aggressive" because she would lunge at other dogs and had bitten a dog in daycare on the ear. After twelve weeks, the trainers told me to "stop using that term" because "it's not accurate". They then explained that my dog had gradually become very comfortable with her classmates, and was only raising hackles at new dogs in the stands/on the sides of the room. They also told me that ear-bites (the only bites my dog has inflicted on other dogs) are preemptive defensive bites, and not aggressive ones. In short, the trainers there told me: "Your dog is VERY ANXIOUS, not aggressive, and she will need a longer amount of time to feel comfortable with another dog."

Later on, we saw a behaviorist who reiterated this and worked with me on her severe anxiety issues. The behaviorist pointed out that my dog basically tries to ignore other animals and will happily mind her own business if the other dog/cat leaves her alone. My dog does, however, take staring, attempts to play and other interactions as threats initially. But again, it was stressed to me that her problem was severe anxiety and not aggression.

It is true that she gets along fine with all the neighborhood dogs who live on the same block and walk by our house (in full view of her past the window). In fact, after about a month of seeing the same dog(s) over and over, my dog will stop barking at them and start crying at them instead, or sometimes just be silent. After many months, she'll even wag her tail at them and want to approach them on walks. I still have to be incredibly careful at that point and keep the interactions as gradual as possible, but... is it true then, that my dog, who has bitten other dogs' ears and who lunges at stranger-dogs on walks sometimes, is not "aggressive" at all, but rather severely fearful and capable of becoming friendly with long exposure to familiar dogs? That's the assumption I have been operating under for years now.

Because of my experiences with trainers/the behaviorist, my impression of "aggressive" is a dog who strikes out at other dogs or people without that anxiety component. Which seems like it is the vast minority of dogs in general--even pit bulls.

Does the usage of any specific terminology bother you?

For the reasons listed above: "aggressive". Which includes more specific variations like "dog-aggressive" or "people-aggressive". Though at times, I use the term "dog-aggressive" myself to describe my dog because it's shorter/easier to say than to explain all her anxiety issues (particularly if I'm just writing a casual online comment and will never meet the person). Sometimes I say "fear-based aggression" but am always unsure that the meaning is understood correctly.