A slot is a narrow opening in something that fits something else. He dropped a coin into the slot on the machine. If something slots into something else, it goes in easily. The car seat belt slotted into place quickly.

A piece of steel in the frame of a motor vehicle, used to support or anchor an antenna, a speaker, a muffler, or a light. The term is also applied to the groove in a wheel that holds a tire and allows it to rotate.

In the United States, a slot is an authorization to take off or land at a specific airport on a particular day during a specified time period. Airlines use these slots to manage air traffic at busy airports and prevent the repeated delays that can occur when too many planes try to take off or land at the same time. In the United Kingdom, an aviation term for this type of authorisation is clearance to operate at a specific runway.

An NFL position that is typically a wide receiver, but is often referred to as a nickel back or slot corner. Slot receivers are shorter and smaller than boundary receivers, but they have excellent speed and excel at running precise routes. They are especially good at running short, in-breaking and slant routes. On running plays, they block for the ball carrier and are a crucial part of any offense that wants to get the defense moving in different directions and stretch the field.

The theoretical percentage of a casino game that a player can expect to win, based on the payout schedule and other factors. It is usually listed on the machine, along with its denominations, number of reels and symbols, pay lines, bonus rounds, and other information. The percentages may differ slightly between machines, due to the fact that each microprocessor-based machine assigns a different probability to each symbol on each reel.

On electromechanical slot machines, a tilt switch would make or break a circuit and trigger an alarm when the machine was tampered with or out of order. Modern slot machines no longer have tilt switches, but any kind of technical fault (door switch in the wrong state, out of paper, reel motor failure, etc.) is still referred to as a “tilt”.

A bonus round on a slot machine that gives the player the chance to win additional credits, often through a mini-game or other interactive feature. These rounds can involve picking items that reveal amounts of credit, playing a video game, racing against the clock, or other events. Some bonuses are randomly triggered, while others must be activated by pressing a button or navigating a menu on the screen of the slot machine. These features are designed to attract players and increase the player’s bankroll. Some slots also offer progressive jackpots. These jackpots can grow to millions of dollars. This has led to some controversy over whether slot machines are addictive and should be banned in some jurisdictions.