A slot is a position within a group, series, sequence, or other arrangement. It may also refer to an opening in a piece of equipment or machinery, such as a door or window. A slot may also be used to refer to a position of employment, either permanent or temporary, in an organization or hierarchy. The word is commonly used in the English language, although it is also found in some other languages. A similar word is hole, which is the opposite of a slot and is often used to describe an opening in an object that can be closed or locked.

In a slot machine, a player inserts cash or, in the case of “ticket-in, ticket-out” machines, a paper ticket with a barcode, into a slot located on the machine’s cabinet. The machine then activates a set of reels that spin and stop to rearrange symbols in combinations based on the pay table. In order to win, the symbols must line up on a payline. The symbols vary depending on the slot game, and they are usually aligned with a theme.

Many slot games have different features, including multiple paylines and bonus rounds. These can make them difficult to keep track of, so many have information tables known as pay tables to help players understand what they are playing for. These tables typically show the paylines, winning combinations, and jackpot amounts of a slot game. They are usually laid out visually and with bright colours, making them easy to read.

The term is also used to refer to an operating position on an airline’s schedule, or to a time period in which an airport has available runway space or parking spaces. A slot is usually assigned by an airport authority, but can be purchased or traded. In the case of air traffic control, slots are granted by EUROCONTROL as part of its flow and capacity management role.

A slot may also be used to refer to an opening in a piece of software that allows for the insertion of code. A programming language, such as Java or C++, can use a slot to store code that can be executed at run time. This is especially useful when developing large applications that are intended to run on a variety of platforms, such as mobile devices, web browsers, and native desktop applications.

A slot can also be a narrow notch, groove, or opening, such as one in a machine tool or a slit in a door or window. It can also be a place in a chain or an inscription, such as on a coin. The latter is the most common form of this usage in the English language, which derives from Middle Low German and Middle Dutch slutil, probably from Proto-Germanic *slutila (source also of Old Frisian slutil, Dutch sleutel, German Schloss “door-bolt”). It is also closely related to the words shut, lock, and bolt.