A position in a group, series, sequence, etc.: The second slot in the team’s rotation.

In a casino, a slot is a machine with reels and a coin-in or ticket-out mechanism where players insert cash or, in “ticket-in, ticket-out” machines, paper tickets that have barcodes. The machine is activated by a lever or button (either physical or on a touchscreen), which spins the reels to rearrange symbols and award credits according to the paytable. Many slots have a theme, with classic symbols including fruits, bells, and stylized lucky sevens. Bonuses and other features also vary by game.

You’ve checked in, made it through security, found your gate, and waited to board. But then the captain announces, “We’re waiting for a slot.” What is this mysterious delay and how do you fix it?

In a computer, a slot is a memory location where a program or data can be stored. Each computer has multiple slots, and each can hold different types of information. To increase the amount of available storage space, you can create new slots, or remove ones that are no longer needed. If you want to keep something, you can move it from one slot to another. This process is called resizing. Then, when you need to access the old file again, you can simply go back to that same slot and retrieve it. Using this technique, you can expand your storage capacity without spending money on additional hardware.