A narrow opening, slit, or groove for receiving something, especially a coin or a letter. Also: a position or opportunity, as in a job or a time slot on the radio or TV.
A slot machine is a device that pays out winning combinations of symbols on a rotating reel or belt, often with multiple paylines and several bonus features. Unlike traditional casino games where the player has to keep track of the odds, microprocessors in modern slot machines make it possible for manufacturers to assign different probability values to individual symbols and combinations of symbols on each reel. This means that a spin may look like a big win but could actually be less lucrative than if the same symbol had appeared on each reel. Players can learn more about a machine’s symbols, payouts, and odds by checking out the pay tables, which typically list the top prize on each machine as well as how much a spin will cost. These tables are usually located on the front of the machine, or they can be accessed through a “help” button or “i” on the touch screen.
A slot is also the name of a narrow opening in a tree or rock. The word is related to slit and to the Latin noun sleutana, meaning a bolt or lock. It is derived from Middle Low German, or Dutch, slot (“bolt, lock, castle”), which in turn is probably a variant of the Proto-Germanic noun *sluta, *sleutana (to lock”). See also slit.