What is a Slot?

A slit or narrow opening, especially one used for receiving something, such as a coin or letter. Also called slot, slit, and hole. A slot in a wall or door through which a curtain might be hung. A space or place in which a person can sit, such as on an airplane or train or at a table in a restaurant. In sports, the unmarked area in front of the opposing team’s goal on an ice hockey rink, affording a vantage point for a player.

A place or time in which a thing can be done: “A few more minutes and I’ll have a chance to finish this report on time.”

An assigned or carved-out place or position, such as an office, a seat in the audience, or a place on a team. A position or position in which someone works: “She’s a good slot for our editorial team.”

In cable street-railroad, a continuous narrow opening between the rails, through which the grip on the car passes to connect with the traveling cable. Also called notch, hole, and groove. In ornithology, a narrow notch between the primaries of certain birds, which helps to maintain a continuous flow of air over their wings during flight.

A narrow, usually curved slit in wood or metal used for receiving something, such as a bolt or key: “The screwdriver fit in the slot on the door.”

In casino gambling, a machine that accepts cash or paper tickets bearing barcodes and a magnetic stripe (often called a ticket-in, ticket-out machine). The reels spin when activated by a lever or button on the machine, or by means of a touchscreen or other electronic interface. When a winning combination appears, the machine awards credits according to the paytable. Symbols vary with the theme of the machine, but classic symbols include fruits, bells, and stylized lucky sevens.

A computer program that randomly selects a number or symbols for an activity such as a lottery drawing, an arcade game, or a poker game. Also called random-number generator and RNG.

In American football, the defender who covers the receiver that lines up near the line of scrimmage. Also known as the slot corner, the position requires a high level of physical fitness and athletic ability to keep up with fast slot receivers who catch the ball all over the field.

A slot is a dynamic placeholder for content on a Web page that is dictated by either an action or a scenario in the Service Center. A slot contains a repository item and may or may not contain additional metadata about the item, and a renderer determines how that content is presented on the page. For more information about slots and their properties, see the Using Slots chapter of the ATG Personalization Programming Guide.