A narrow depression, groove, notch, or slit; especially one for receiving something, as coins or letters. Also: (in computing) a position within a sequence or schedule into which something can be fitted; an assignment or job opening. The program received a new slot on the broadcasting schedule.

In gambling, a place on the machine’s reels where a winning combination of symbols must line up to pay out credits. The amount won is listed on the machine’s pay table. On older reel machines and some video slots, this is displayed above and below the area containing the spinning reels. On other machines, the pay table is accessed by pressing a “pay table” button or touching “pay table” on the screen.

The track or trail of a deer. Also: spoor. (Antarctica) A crack or fissure in a glacier, snowfield, or ice sheet. Also: crevasse.

Sports A rectangular area in front of the face-off circles on an ice hockey rink.

Linguistics

A grammatical position within a construction into which any one of a set of morphemes or morpheme sequences can be fit; a spot. Also: (in tagmemics) a position within a word or phrase that can be filled by an element of a given class, as in the definite article “the” and the indefinite articles “an” and “another.” Compare filler, slotter.

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