What Is a Slot?

A slit or other narrow opening, especially one for receiving something, as a coin or a letter. Also used figuratively of a position or assignment, as in the phrase “slot in.”

A time and place allocated to an aircraft for takeoff or landing, as authorized by a traffic control system. Also used figuratively of an airplane or helicopter’s position in the air, as in “they were in the right slot”.

In computer science, a device that accepts plug-in cards. A slot may be on a motherboard or in an expansion card that connects to the motherboard. Examples include ISA slots, PCI slots, and AGP slots. See also socket.

The position on a team’s defensive secondary that covers the wide receiver who is lined up closest to the line of scrimmage. Often, this receiver is physically smaller than other wideouts and must be able to run quick routes that require a lot of evasion and elusion. Because of this, teams emphasize speed in evaluating potential slot receivers.

Penny slot machines are among the most attractive to casino patrons because of their profusion of bright lights and jingling jangling noise. These machines are designed to appeal to the senses and lure gamblers in with a promise of big payouts. However, it is important for players to protect their bankroll and avoid chasing comps in the hopes of winning more money. In fact, if a machine has not produced a win for several spins, it is wise to switch games before you lose more money.

Flow Management

It is no secret that airports and airlines are dealing with serious congestion problems. The use of central flow management systems, known as slots, has been shown to significantly reduce delay times and fuel burn. The cost savings are huge, as is the environmental benefits of eliminating the need to keep large jets in the air for unnecessary periods of time.

In a nutshell, a slot is a dynamic placeholder that either waits for content (passive slot) or calls out to a renderer to fill it (active slot). Slot properties determine how and where a particular slot appears in a page; you can read more about them in the Using Slots section of the ATG Personalization Programming Guide.