A narrow notch, groove, or opening, such as a keyway in machinery or the slit for a coin in a vending machine. Also, (computing) a space in memory or on disk that can be reserved for a particular type of object.

In the past, slot machines used revolving mechanical reels to display symbols and determine results. This limited jackpot sizes, however, because there are only cubic combinations of a given number of symbols on each reel. Manufacturers solved this problem by using electronics to weight specific symbols. This allows each symbol to appear disproportionately often on the payline, even though it may only appear on one physical reel.

Getting greedy or betting more than you can afford to lose are the 2 biggest pitfalls while playing online slots. Don’t waste your time chasing a hit you believe is due; it won’t happen. Every computer goes through thousands of combinations per minute, so the odds that you pressed the button at exactly the right moment are incredibly tiny.

The third defensive back in a football team, usually tasked with covering the slot receiver. This position requires excellent coverage skills and athletic ability. The slot corner must be able to cover both press coverage and off-man coverage, which is very challenging. Also called safety or free safety.