A slot is a narrow opening or hole, especially one for something that fits in it, such as a coin into a slot machine. It can also refer to a position or period of time in a schedule or program. Visitors can book a time slot a week or more in advance.

The slots (also known as flight times) for taking off or landing at an airport are scheduled in advance, allowing the coordination of flights in busy airports and preventing repeated delays caused by too many aircraft trying to take off or land at the same time. In football, a slot receiver is a wide receiver who lines up on the outside of the field and primarily receives short passes from the quarterback, as opposed to deep routes from the tight end or fullback. The slot can also serve as a checkdown receiver if the defense is well-covered by other, deeper routes.

Slots are games in which players spin a reel to win prizes, and they can have a variety of paylines and symbols. They often follow specific themes, with a pirate game using treasure-related icons such as ships, anchors, gold coins, and sunken treasure; a mining game may use symbols such as pickaxes, shovels, dynamite charges, or mine carts. Some slots use touch-screen technology, which makes them even more user friendly.