A narrow notch, groove or opening, as in a keyway in machinery or the slot for a coin in a vending machine. Also: a position or place in a group, sequence or series: a position as copy editor of a newspaper; a time slot for an appointment; a seat on the train. From the American Heritage(r) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.
Airline passengers have all experienced the frustration of being told to wait at the gate for a delayed flight because the plane does not yet have a slot. In some cases, the delay may be caused by other factors, but in others, the problem is that the aircraft is simply waiting for an open seat to enter the airport’s slot and then clear the gate to take off.
The term “slot” has also been applied to the position of a player on an online casino game, especially in video slots. To play, the player selects the amount they want to bet and presses a button that begins the spins. The reels then stop spinning, and the resulting combination of symbols determines whether the player wins or loses. To maximize winnings, players should read the payout table for each slot and choose the bet size that reflects their budget.
Slot, as an NFL position, was invented by Sid Gillman’s former assistant coach, Al Davis, when he became head coach of the Raiders in 1963. His idea was to pair a wide receiver on the outside with a running back in the middle to take advantage of defensive weaknesses. He required slot receivers to have speed, excellent hands and be precise with their route running and timing.
In addition to the slot, the aeration system of an aircraft is also limited by its slot. If the aerator is not functioning properly, it will affect how much oxygen is being supplied to the engine, causing it to run inefficiently and possibly overheat. To avoid this problem, aeration system manufacturers have created special slotted aerators that can be placed in the ductwork to provide optimum flow of aeration.
A slot is a dynamic placeholder that either waits for content to be added (passive slot) or calls out to a renderer to fill it in (active slot). The contents of a slot are dictated by a scenario that uses an Add Items to Slot action or a targeter. To view recommendations and their estimated cost impact, users can access the slot modeling interface by selecting Slot Recommendation in the Chart options pane.