A narrow notch, groove, or opening, as in a keyway in a piece of machinery or a slit for a coin in a vending machine. Also: a position in a group, series, or sequence; a time slot.

Symbols in slot machines vary from game to game, but classic symbols include fruits, bells, and stylized lucky sevens. Depending on the type of machine, a player inserts cash or, in “ticket-in, ticket-out” machines, a paper ticket with a barcode into a slot, which activates reels that spin and stop to rearrange the symbols. When a player matches a winning combination of symbols, the machine pays out credits according to its paytable.

Some modern slots offer a wide variety of bonus features, while others focus on a specific theme. For example, some slot games feature progressive jackpots or free spins, while others have bonus features that can be triggered by landing certain combinations of symbols. The pay table for a slot game provides information on how to trigger and use these bonus features.

Slot is also the name of a tool used in airport coordination to limit take-off and landing authorizations at busy airports. The tool allows air traffic controllers to better manage aircraft operations at crowded airports, and it helps reduce repetitive delays caused by too many flights trying to land or take off at the same time.