straggler

Straggler is a noun describing a person or thing that lags behind a group during movement, progress, or activity. The term derives from straggle, to stray from the main body.

In everyday use, a straggler might be a hiker who is behind the rest of the party, a late arrival at a meeting, or a runner who falls back during a race.

In ecology and biology, a straggler refers to an individual that deviates from the main cohort during migration or dispersal. Stragglers can occur due to navigational errors, weather, or health; they may establish unexpected ranges.

In computing, a straggler task is a computing task that takes longer to complete than others in a parallel job, delaying overall completion. Systems sometimes replicate such tasks or schedule additional resources to mitigate.

In logistics and production, stragglers can be items or shipments that miss an intended timetable.

The term is widely used across disciplines to denote lagging elements, with implications for performance, migration outcomes, or scheduling.