slot

Pluralslots

Formsslots, slotting, slotted

1. 1
   nouncountable

   A narrow opening, hole, or groove, especially one made to receive a part that fits or slides into it.

   She slid the key card into the slot beside the door.

   The bracket has two slots for adjusting the shelf height.

   Similaropening, slit, hole, groove, aperture

2. 2
   nouncountable

   A position or period of time allotted to someone or something within a schedule or running order, such as a broadcast time or an aircraft's takeoff or landing time.

   Her show was moved to a later evening slot.

   There were no free slots left on the appointment calendar.

   UsageCommon in a time slot and a free slot; a show can move to a later slot.

   Similarspot, window, time, opening, space

   Note

   Time borrowed the shape of a groove. A span of time is pictured as the segment of a page or the part of a device that represents it, so an appointment fills a slot the way a card fills a gap. The word covers rank as well as clock time: the 2 p.m. slot, or the third-ranked slot overall. Source

   Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 1 fact

   • The scheduling sense developed metaphorically by equating a time span with the segment of a page or part of a device representing it. en.wiktionary.org
3. 3
   gambling machinenouncolloquialpluralabbreviationclipping

   Short form of slot machine: a coin- or card-operated gambling machine that pays out when its spinning symbols line up.

   He hit the jackpot on a dollar slot late that night.

   The new resort installed hundreds of slots on its gaming floor.

   UsageOften play the slots or go to the slots.

4. 4
   verbtransitive

   To assign someone or something to a particular place in a schedule or sequence.

   The editor slotted the article into next month's issue.

   Organizers slot each band into a time on the festival lineup.

   UsageUsually slot something into a schedule, or slot someone in.

   Similarschedule, fit, place, squeeze, book

5. 5
   verbtransitive

   To put or fit something into a slot or narrow opening, or into the place where it belongs.

   He slotted the missing piece into the puzzle.

   Volunteers slot the returned files back into the cabinet.

   UsageUsually slot something into place, or slot it in.

   Similarinsert, fit, slide, put, place

   Oppositeremove, extract

   Note

   Sports reporting loves this verb for neat finishing. The BBC's 2010 report of Chelsea 1–0 Bolton has Florent Malouda, who 'slotted in a cross from Drogba', putting the ball exactly where it had to go. The verb carries an idea of tidy fit, so it suits jigsaw pieces, returned files and goals alike. Source

   Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

   • The BBC published a report titled Chelsea 1–0 Bolton in 2010. en.wiktionary.org
   • The report describes Florent Malouda scoring from Drogba's cross using the exact quoted wording. en.wiktionary.org
6. 6
   nouncountable

   In computing, a location in memory, on disk, or the like, where objects of a given type can be held.

   The allocator placed the object in the first free slot.

   A hash table uses each key to pick a slot in the array, which makes lookups very fast.

   Similarlocation, cell, position

   Note

   Programmers borrow the narrow opening for storage. A slot is a space sized for one particular kind of object, much as a coin slot takes only coins. Gamers know it from save slots: each slot holds one saved game, and once every slot is full, something must be overwritten.

7. 7
   verbtransitive

   To make a narrow groove, aperture, or opening, especially by cutting or machining.

   The machinist slotted the bracket to accept the locking tab.

   Workers slot each plate so the shelves lock together.

   Similargroove, notch, slit, cut, rout

8. 8
   American footballnouncountable

   In American football, the area between the outermost offensive lineman and the wide receiver on that side.

   The receiver shifted into the slot before the snap.

   Defenses struggled to cover both slots at once.

   Note

   American football uses the word for a gap in the offensive formation: the space between the outermost lineman and the wide receiver on that side. A player who lines up there is said to be in the slot, and the word then becomes a label for that player's role.

9. 9
   kick a goalverbcolloquialtransitive

   To kick the ball between the goalposts for a goal, and so to score.

   The fullback slotted the penalty from forty meters out.

   With seconds left, he managed to slot it through the big sticks.

   Similarkick, convert, score

   Oppositemiss

   Note

   In Australian rules football and rugby, a kicker threads the ball through the gap between the posts, and the verb captures that image of a narrow opening hit cleanly. Source

   Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

   • In Australian rules football, a goal-scoring kick sends the ball between the goalposts. en.wikipedia.org
   • In rugby, a goal-scoring kick sends the ball between the posts. world.rugby
10. 10
    hockeynouncountable

    In hockey, the rectangular area directly in front of the net, extending out toward the blue line.

    He buried the rebound from the slot.

    The team crashed the slot looking for loose pucks.

    Note

    Ice hockey uses the word for the area in front of the goaltender, between the faceoff circles. Attackers shoot from the slot and defenders try to keep it clear. Commentators say a goal came 'from the slot' or that a player is 'in the slot'. Source

    Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

    • The slot is directly in front of the goaltender, between the faceoff circles. en.wikipedia.org
    • Attackers shoot from the slot. nhl.com
    • Defenders try to deny attackers opportunities in the slot. nhlcoaches.com

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