A thin opening or groove, as in a door or window. She slotted the filter into place. Also called slit, aperture, slit hole, vent, or channel.

A narrow opening in something, especially a vehicle or airplane used for receiving something, such as mail, a passenger, or cargo. A position in a series or sequence, or an assignment or job. She got a job as a receptionist at the company, so she slotted right in. Also called berth, billet, position, time slot, or window.

In gambling, a slot is a reel that spins and stops at specific positions, triggering a payout or a loss. The number of symbols on a slot machine can vary from one to many, and each has its own paylines. A common variant is a multi-line slot, which features multiple rows of reels and pays out for symbols appearing on any of these.

While a large majority of gamblers engage in gambling as harmless entertainment, a subset experiences severe gambling-related problems (Blaszczynski, Sharpe, Walker, Shannon, and Coughlan, 2005). One such problem is the allure of slot machines, which are perceived to be particularly attractive to impulsive, low-control gamblers because they provide high levels of immediate feedback and monetary gains, as well as high-fidelity attention-grabbing music and animations. The allure of slot machines may also be attributed to the fact that the odds of winning are not deterministic, but rather are offered through a variable-ratio reinforcement schedule.