A narrow opening in a machine or container, usually with a handle, for depositing coins. Also, the amount paid out by a slot machine.
A slot is a dynamic placeholder that either waits for content (passive slot) or calls out to a renderer to fill it. They are used in tandem with scenarios to deliver content to a page and with slot containers (scenario containers and the slot element) to display it.
A slot can also be a period of time allotted for an aircraft to take off or land at an airport as assigned by air-traffic control. A slot in a schedule or program can be reserved by the public for a certain activity, such as a tour of a building. A slot is also the name of a narrow notch or opening between the primaries in some birds that helps maintain a flow of air over their wings during flight. The term is used in a variety of other fields, including ornithology and aviation. Another use of the word is the slot in a bird cage, where a wooden or wire partition is placed. The term is also used for a small hole in the wall of a vehicle or airplane for accessing the electrical wiring. A slot in a computer is a portion of a virtual CPU where an operation is issued and executed. The term is also a concept in very long instruction word (VLIW) machines where the relationship between an issue and a pipeline to execute it is explicitly stated.