What is a Slot?

A game of chance in which you can win money by matching symbols on a reel. You can find them in land-based casinos and online. Some slots have a progressive jackpot, where a portion of every wager is funneled into the overall pot. Others work similar to other machines in that the prize is displayed on-screen and you can keep spinning to win.

A narrow notch, groove or opening, as a keyway in machinery, a slit for a coin in a vending machine, etc.; also, any of various openings in the wing or tail surface of an airplane that provide a flow of air for control or high-lift devices. (Ornithology) The gap between the primaries of a bird that during flight provides for a continuous stream of air over the wings.

From Middle Low German slot, from Proto-Germanic *slutatana (“to lock”), cognate with Dutch sloep and German Schloss.

A position in a group or series, as in the position of chief copy editor: “He has the slot at the Gazette.” (Journalism) The space in a newspaper that is occupied by a particular writer or columnist: “The sports page is my slot.” (Ice Hockey) An unmarked area in front of an opposing team’s goal that affords a good vantage point for attacking players. From the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.