What is a Slot?

A narrow notch, groove, or opening, as a keyway in a machine or a slit for a coin in a vending machine. A position in a group, series, or sequence; a position of employment.

A slot in football is the area between the outside offensive linemen (tackle) and the player positioned closest to the sideline (wide receiver). This area is usually taken up by a wide receiver or a running back. It is important for a team to have good players in the slot because it allows them to catch passes and make runs.

In a slot machine, the player inserts cash or, in “ticket-in, ticket-out” machines, a paper ticket with a barcode into a designated slot. The machine then pays out credits based on the pay table. Some machines have wild symbols that substitute for other symbols to create winning combinations, while others have bonus games. The pay table is typically displayed above or below the machine, and on video slots it is usually contained within a help menu.

To slot is to put something into a place where it fits, as in He slotted the CD into the car stereo. To do so manually requires precise alignment and can be time consuming. A computer can do it much faster and more accurately, but the results are not always identical. The v-slot shorthand lets you render a template fragment in a child component if its slot is present.