Slot

A slot is a broad term for a narrow opening or groove in a surface, used to receive another object, guide movement, or separate components. In everyday objects, slots serve as coin or card receptacles, key slots, or channels that control the flow of material or signals.

In mechanical design, slots allow fit and alignment; for example coin slots in vending machines, mail slots in doors, or slots in hardware for fasteners or guides. They enable modularity by accepting compatible inserts.

In computing and electronics, a slot is a receptacle designed to accept a module or device. Common examples are expansion slots on motherboards (such as PCIe) for add-in cards, RAM slots for memory modules, and slots for SIM cards or memory cards.

In scheduling and communications, a time slot is a fixed interval allocated for a particular operation, such as a television program, a phone call window, or an aircraft’s takeoff or landing window managed in air traffic control.

In gambling, slot machines are devices with spinning reels that award prizes according to symbol combinations. Modern machines use random number generators to determine outcomes and provide varying payout percentages, subject to regulation by gaming authorities.

Other uses include placeholders in software templates or data processing, where a slot represents a variable to be filled. The plural form slots appears in contexts involving resource allocation, scheduling, and modular design.