A narrow opening into which something can be fitted, such as a hole in a door or the slot on a machine where you put coins. Also: the space in a schedule or program where an activity can take place. The car seat belt slotted easily into place. He dropped the coin into the slot on the machine and dialed. A position, as in a queue or on a team. He was trying to make the basketball team, but he missed the final slots in the squad.

A slot is also a space on a piece of paper where you write your name to sign up for an event or class. If you are late to a meeting, you can try to fit in with the others by asking to be placed in their group or in a different slot.

The meaning of the word slot dates back to the mid-14th century, when it meant “a slit or narrow opening, as in a door, window, etc.,” from Middle Dutch and Middle Low German slit, from Proto-Germanic *slutila (source of Old Frisian sletel, Dutch sluiten, Saxon slutil, German Schloss “bolt, bar, lock, castle,” etc.). The sense of a time of day in which a meal can be eaten is from c. 1600. The slot in a train or ship where you board is usually reserved for passengers who have signed up ahead of time.

When you play a slot, the symbols on the reels must line up in a specific pattern to award a payout. Most modern slots have multiple paylines, which can be horizontal, vertical, diagonal, or zig-zag shaped. In addition, they may have extra symbols or bonus features.

Whether you’re playing online or at a land-based casino, it’s important to know how the slot works. Before you play, read the pay table to understand what each symbol means and how it’s supposed to line up. You can usually find the pay table by clicking an icon near the bottom of the slot’s screen.

In the past, players of slot machines had to keep track of only a few possible combinations of symbols and payouts, but as microprocessors became more widespread, manufacturers began programming them to weight certain types of symbols more than others. This altered the odds of hitting a jackpot, even though it didn’t change the number of possible combinations. It’s important to keep this in mind when choosing which games to play and how much you want to spend. To help you do that, it’s a good idea to set a spending budget ahead of time. That way, you’ll have a chance to win more often and not be disappointed when you don’t hit the jackpot. You’ll also feel more in control of your money, which is always a plus.