A slot is a position within a group, series or sequence. It can also refer to a specific position in an organization or hierarchy. The term comes from the verb “to slot,” which means to fit something into place. For example, a janitor may be assigned to clean the “slot” in the school cafeteria. A person may also use the term to describe a time of day, such as the morning or evening slot.

A slit or hole, as in a keyway in a piece of machinery or a coin slot in a machine. The hole or slit must be the correct size to allow the slotted item to pass through it. The term can also refer to an opening in a machine or system that allows the passage of wires or other materials, such as an air gap between a wing and its auxiliary airfoil during flight.

In ornithology, the narrow notch between the tips of the primaries on some birds, which during flight helps to maintain a flow of air over the wings. In ice hockey, the unmarked area near the opposing team’s goal that affords a vantage point for an attacking player.

a set time of the day when a certain event or activity is scheduled to occur, such as a game or an airplane flight: The players will meet in the conference room at 1:00 PM to discuss tomorrow’s practice schedule.

An individual who has a mental illness or substance abuse problem who engages in gambling. Psychologists have found that people who play video slots reach debilitating levels of involvement in gambling three times more rapidly than those who play traditional casino games.

In football, a position in the middle of the field that corresponds with other receivers on a team’s formation. Slot receivers tend to be shorter and faster than other wide receivers, allowing them to break open quickly on routes. However, their location on the field can also make them vulnerable to big hits from defenses, as they are often targeted on a number of passing plays.

The slot on a piece of equipment, such as a keyboard or computer mouse, into which an object fits to allow it to be inserted and used: A woman with a broken laptop bought a new one from the store that had a bigger slot for her old one.

A set of rules and guidelines governing the operation of a slot machine, including how much a symbol can pay out and when it is expected to do so. The rules and guidelines vary by game, but most contain similar information such as how many symbols are on a payline, what each symbol represents, and how much is paid out for hitting 3, 4, or 5 matching symbols on a single payline.

A slot’s pay table will usually be located on the game’s glass, though it is sometimes embedded in a help screen on a video slot. Most pay tables will include pictures of each of the symbols in the slot, along with a description of each symbol and how much a player can win for landing on each type of combination.