1. a slit or other narrow opening, especially one for receiving something, as a coin or a letter. 2. (informal) a place, position, or time to do something; an assignment or job vacancy. 3. a piece of strong wire that fits into an opening, such as on the side of a can. 4. a piece of wood or metal that has been cut into an irregular shape to provide a passage or support for something else.

Slot is a word you’ve probably heard before, perhaps when that casino game-savvy friend or that youtuber you follow explains their strategies for winning in slots. But what does it really mean? And is it a word that needs to be spelled out for the rest of us?

The basic idea behind slot machines is that you pull a handle or push a button to activate a machine that spins a series of reels, each with several pictures on it. The number of times a specific picture lines up with the pay line — a vertical or horizontal line in the middle of the window — determines whether you win or lose.

Depending on the machine, you can insert cash or, in “ticket-in, ticket-out” machines, a paper ticket with a barcode. When the machine gets a signal — anything from a push of the button to the flick of the handle — it sets a combination of numbers and causes the reels to stop on that configuration. If the symbols match a winning combination in the paytable, you earn credits based on that payout table.