All of the above are of course
definitions of the word mode. In
statistical use, the mode is the
most common value in a
distribution of anything. For example, if we have a
barrel full of
bowling balls and empty them out and find the following: 5 balls weighing 10 lbs., 8 balls weighing 11 lbs., 3 balls weighing 12 lbs, and 6 balls weighing 13 lbs., the mode for this distribution would be 11lbs.
A distribution can have multiple modes. Imagine that there had been 8 balls weighing 10 lbs. Then we would have had a bi-modal distribution.
That the mode is succeptible to this little "problem" is why it is not the preferred measure of central tendency. Ideally, one would use the mean, but sometimes a mean can not be computed.
Respectfully,
Dogboy