I understand that some sources say that one can use "average" to mean something other than the mean. My claim, as an actual working[0] scientist who encounters

I understand that some sources say that one can use "average" to mean something other than the mean. My claim, as an actual working[0] scientist who encounters those words a lot, is that nobody really does, outside of "Well, actually the average can be the median or mode too...."-type statements. I'd put describing the mode as "the average" on par with giving someone a tomato and zucchini salad while describing it as "mixed berries." Not technically wrong but.... [0] Well, slacking scientist at the moment, but...