A thin opening or groove in something, for example a hole in a door that you can insert a key to open. The term slot is also used to refer to a position within a schedule or program. You can also use it to describe a position or time period when an activity can take place, such as a visit to a museum. The slots on the calendar filled up quickly during the holidays, so I was lucky to get a visit in at the last minute.
A slot is a position on a team or within an organization that can be filled by someone with experience and skills to do the job. If you have a skill that could be useful in your workplace, you can ask about being placed in a particular slot or about getting training to learn more about the job.
In gambling, a slot is a machine that returns most of the money put into it to players. This percentage varies from machine to machine and is sometimes shown in the help information. It is important to understand how this figure is calculated, as it will give you a better idea of which slots are worth playing and which ones to avoid.
Slot machines operate by using a random number generator to determine winning combinations of symbols on the reels. The actual reels are not necessary, since a computer chip inside the machine makes thousands of calculations per second. Each symbol has an equal chance of appearing, although the higher-paying symbols will appear more frequently than lower-paying ones. This is why it is important to check the paytable and know your budget before you play a slot.