What Is a Slot?

The slot is the position a wide receiver lines up in the backfield, a few steps off the line of scrimmage. Compared to outside wide receivers, slot receivers are typically extra speedy and have top-notch route-running skills. This makes them valuable to teams trying to win big plays and avoid big losses.

A slot is also a term used to describe an expansion slot on a motherboard, specifically one that can support multiple PCI or AGP cards. These slots are usually not as large as the ones on desktop computers, so they can be more easily filled. In addition, many slot configurations have different types of ports, which allow you to use more than one type of expansion card at a time.

When you play a slot machine, the pay table displays how many credits you will receive if all of the symbols on a winning line appear. The pay table is typically displayed above and below the reels of a mechanical machine, and within a help menu on a video slot.

You’ve checked in on time, made your way through security, snagged the best seat possible, and struggled with those pesky overhead lockers. But then you hear the captain talking about how they’re waiting for a slot. What does that mean, and why can’t you take off?!