What is a Slot?

A slot is an opening in something that allows passage or access. The word has many synonyms, including hole, slit, gap, vent, aperture, and channel. A slot can also refer to a position, time, or place.

A slit in the side of a door or window to admit air or light. A small hole in a wall or door into which a nail or other fastener may be driven. A compartment or space in a ship, aircraft, car, etc., into which cargo is loaded. A position in a team’s lineup, especially field hockey or ice hockey, between the last offensive lineman and the wide receiver on that side.

(computing) A space on a disk, memory, or other storage medium that is reserved for a particular type of object. A slot is typically accessed via a special interface, e.g., a file system.

In gambling, a term for a combination of symbols on a slot machine that must appear in a specific order to trigger a payout. Usually, the more matching symbols you land in a slot payline, the higher the payout. Some slots offer multiple paylines, while others have a single payout per spin.

In aviation, a “slot” is an authorization to take off or land at an airport at a specific time during a given day. Air traffic control managers use slots to manage extremely busy airports and prevent repeated delays caused by too many flights trying to land or take off at the same time.