A slot is a narrow notch, groove or opening, as a keyway in machinery, a slit for coins in a vending machine, etc. It is also a position in a group, series or sequence.
In casino games, a slot refers to the opening through which a coin or paper ticket with a barcode is inserted. The machine then spins the reels and, if a winning combination is achieved, credits are awarded based on the pay table. Most slot machines have a theme, with symbols and bonus features aligned with that theme.
The term slot is also used in aviation to describe the time allocated to an airline for operating at a particular airport. This allocation is determined by air traffic control and may be influenced by weather conditions, runway capacity, other aircraft in the area and the availability of parking space. It is possible to buy additional slots at some airports, but this can be costly.
A virtual slot is a dynamic placeholder on a Web page that either waits for content to be added (a passive slot) or calls for it from a scenario or other source, like a targeter (an active slot). See the article on scenarios for more information about how they work in concert with slots and renderers to deliver dynamic content to a browser. Click on a collocation below to see more examples. These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content.