A narrow opening or groove in something, especially a machine or container. Also called a slit, aperture, or notch. The hole in the door that a key fits into. He dropped a coin in the slot and dialled. An assigned time or place for an aircraft to take off or land, as authorized by an airport or air-traffic control authority.
The earliest slot machines were developed in the 19th century. They were simple contraptions, with a fixed jackpot and a handful of reels. The modern video slots are much more complex, with a treasure chest of bonuses, a slew of paylines in many different patterns, and an overwhelming number of symbols to choose from.
If you’re looking for the biggest jackpots, non-progressive slots are your best bet. They have higher payouts than progressive slots and are usually based on multipliers rather than dollar amounts. However, the odds of winning these slots are often smaller than those of progressive jackpots.
Help us keep Wordnik ad-free!
Slot is an American Heritage word. It was added to the dictionary in 2010.