A slot is an open area in a wing or tail surface used to facilitate air flow over the body. In aviation, a slot is often used to mount a flap or ailerons. It may also refer to a gap between a main and an auxiliary airfoil or to an open area in the fuselage. A slot is usually rectangular in shape, but it can be oblong, circular or even star-shaped.

The slot is a crucial part of every football play, especially when it comes to catching a long gain. The receiver must get open and be on the end of a perfect route in order to secure a good reception, which will often result in a large touchdown. A good slot receiver typically gains 8-15 yards and makes a number of defenders miss.

In a slot machine, players insert cash or, in “ticket-in, ticket-out” machines, paper tickets with barcodes into a designated slot to activate a reel set and earn credits based on the combination of symbols that land on the pay table. Most slot games have a theme, and the symbols and bonus features are aligned with that theme.

A specialized type of table slot, the periodic slot is used to hold data that repeats over a specified time period. It can be configured to either have text or numeric column headings, and it supports both scalar and variable data. A periodic slot is not shown in the Slot Viewer unless it has an expression; to see or edit the expression for this type of slot, use the Slot Dialog.