A narrow opening or gap into which something can fit, such as a doorway, window, or a space in a page of a book. Also: a position within a series or sequence, as of jobs or meetings. The word slot is derived from the Latin slitus, meaning “narrow opening or hole,” and slitus is related to the English words slide and split. The first recorded use of the word was in 1520s, when it described an area of a ship’s hull into which timbers could be fitted. The meaning shifted in the 1800s to include an area of a machine where coins could be inserted for operation. By the mid-1900s, the sense of position in a series or sequence had become common.

Penny slots are a casino’s biggest moneymaker, and the jingling jangling sounds and flashing lights can attract players like bees to a honey pot. However, a player’s chances of winning are slim. Most machines pay out small amounts over the course of several pulls and, even then, it’s usually only enough to keep a player seated.

As the gambling industry continues to evolve, casinos are designing penny slots that have a variety of features to make them extra appealing. Many of them have multiple paylines, allowing a player to select from several combinations and potentially win big amounts on each spin. This is especially true of modern video slots, which have a number of different bonus games that can be triggered. These bonuses can be anything from a simple lucky wheel to board game-like games and memory-like games.

In football, the slot receiver (also known as a wide slot) is the player that lines up directly behind the line of scrimmage and slightly behind the outside wide receivers. These players tend to be shorter and quicker than traditional wide receivers, and their skills focus on speed, agility, and evasion. As the game has evolved, teams have started to rely on these types of players more and more.

An airport slot is a reservation granted to an airline to operate at a congested airport at certain times. These reservations are made by a traffic manager, and are normally given to larger airlines who can afford to buy them in bulk. They can also be purchased by individuals, and are sometimes traded on the secondary market. Air traffic managers may even reserve slots to improve their own flow management capabilities. These slots are then assigned to various airlines on an as-needed basis.