A slot is a dynamic placeholder that either waits for content to be added (a passive slot) or calls out for it to be provided by a targeter (an active slot). Slots, scenarios and renderers work in tandem to deliver content to the page; slots and scenario properties determine the contents that will appear, while renderers specify how the slots are presented.

A machine that accepts cash or, in the case of “ticket-in, ticket-out” machines, paper tickets with barcodes, and then pays out credits based on the number of winning combinations of symbols displayed on the machine’s reels. The symbol configuration varies by machine, but classic symbols include fruits, bells, and stylized lucky sevens. Most slots have a theme and offer bonuses that align with the theme.

To place someone or something into a schedule, plan, etc. I can slot you in for a haircut at 2 PM.

A slot in the type wheel of a printing press, in which the pin p fits, and by which the type-bars are secured to it. Also called a mortise. Origin: Late Middle English, from Old French esclot (“slit”) and escole (“slot”). Compare Dutch slot (“bolt”) and German Schloss (“lock, castle”). Also used in the sense of an opening in a door or wall.