What Is a Slot?

The slot is a rectangular area in ice hockey that extends toward the blue line. It is also the fourth position for flying displays. The term slot comes from the verb “sleutana,” which means “to tilt.” In the past, the tilt switches of electromechanical slot machines would break if they were tampered with. In modern slot machines, these switches are not present. Even so, any technical fault in a slot machine is often referred to as a tilt.

A slot is a narrow opening for receiving something. In other contexts, a slot may refer to a position or sequence in a series. It may also refer to a job opening or assignment. Another example of a slot is the narrow opening on an airplane’s wing, which helps regulate airflow.

Modern slots are more complex to program than their mechanical predecessors. This makes them more flexible. They are not constrained by the size of the reels, as vintage machines were. Modern computer-programmed slots can feature up to twenty symbols per reel! There are even games based on television shows, sports, and horse racing.

The slot receiver is a versatile player. Unlike boundary receivers, slot receivers can line up on either side of the field. Sometimes, there can be as many as three slot receivers on the field at the same time. A team can use multiple slot receivers to cover different receivers.