slot

A slot is a space or opening made for something. It might be the place where you put a coin into a machine, or the time set aside for a TV show. It can also mean a place that is available, like a parking space, a job opening, or one of the limited places in a class.

The word often suggests that something fits into a fixed place. You can fill a slot in a schedule, get a slot in a program, or put a card into a computer slot. So the idea is usually the same: a clear place, time, or position meant for something.

The word "slot" has several related meanings, and they all center on the idea of a fixed place for something. In the most basic sense, it means a narrow opening. You see this in a mail slot in a door, a coin slot in a machine, or a card slot in a phone or camera. In each case, something is meant to go into that exact space.

The word is also used for time and position. A TV show may have a regular time slot each week. A speaker at an event may get a short slot on the schedule. A team, course, or workshop may have only a few slots available, meaning only a few places are open.

In technology, a slot is often a place where one part connects to another. A memory card goes into a slot, and a computer part may fit into a slot on the motherboard. In games of chance, "slots" usually means slot machines.

"Slot" can also be used as a verb. You can slot a meeting into your calendar, which means you fit it into a certain time. Someone may be slotted for a role, meaning they have been placed or planned for that position.

So whether it describes an opening, a time on a schedule, an available place, or the act of fitting something into position, "slot" usually carries the idea of something made to fit into a set space.