A narrow notch, groove, or opening, as a keyway in machinery or a slit for a coin in a vending machine. Also used as a figurative term to refer to a position in a group, series, or sequence, such as an office or a time slot on a calendar.

In gaming, a slot is a mechanical mechanism that displays symbols on reels and pays out credits based on combinations of winning paylines. Symbols vary, but classics include fruits, bells, and stylized lucky sevens. Online casino slot games use a random number generator (RNG) to randomly select positions for symbols on a given set of reels each time a player presses the spin button. The RNG cycles thousands of numbers each second and stops at a random point on the reels. Depending on how many coins the player bets per spin, each combination may have different payouts.

At work, slot-based schedules help organizations manage multiple deadlines and support consistency across projects and teams. For example, scheduling meetings according to time slots can make it easier for staff members to attend informal team meetings, client consultations, and evaluation reviews.