Definitions
01narrow opening
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun
n. a long, narrow hole that you put something into, like a coin in a machine.
n. a narrow aperture or perforation designed to receive a corresponding part or a coin.
“He dropped a few coins into the slot and waited for the machine to start.”
“The technician carefully aligned the memory card with the internal slot before applying gentle pressure to secure it.”
02scheduled time
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. a specific time when something is planned to happen in a schedule.
n. an allocated period of time within a schedule or sequence.
“The band has a thirty-minute slot at the music festival this afternoon.”
“The talk show host struggled to find a suitable time slot for the interview given the politician's demanding campaign schedule.”
03aviation timing
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Aviation Technical
n. a specific time given to a plane for taking off or landing.
n. the specific time window allocated for an aircraft's departure or arrival at an airport.
“The pilot warned that if they missed their takeoff slot, they would be delayed for hours.”
“Due to heavy fog over the channel, several international flights missed their arrival slots, causing significant congestion at the terminal.”
Synonyms
04gambling machine
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Informal
n. a machine in a casino that you play by putting money in a hole.
n. a coin-operated gambling machine that pays out based on the alignment of symbols on rotating reels.
“She spent the evening playing the slots at the casino but didn't win much.”
“The casino floor was filled with the mechanical ringing of slots as tourists tried their luck at the jackpot.”
Synonyms
05to fit into a space
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to put something into a narrow space or a schedule.
v. to place or fit something into a designated aperture or a specific position in a sequence.
“You can slot the new battery into the back of the camera.”
“The manager managed to slot the extra training session into the Tuesday afternoon programme without cancelling any existing meetings.”
06to score a goal
C1 · Advanced Sports Informal · British English
v. to kick or hit a ball accurately into a goal.
v. to successfully score a goal by placing the ball accurately into the net or between posts.
“He managed to slot the ball into the corner of the net in the final minute.”
“The striker showed remarkable composure as he slotted the penalty home, securing a vital victory for his team.”
Antonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “slot” in context.
Verb
01. allocate a time slot
“The conference organizers will allocate a time slot for each speaker to present their findings.”
verb + noun
02. insert a coin into the slot
“You need to insert a coin into the slot before the machine will start.”
verb + noun + prep + noun
03. secure a slot
“The independent filmmaker managed to secure a slot at the prestigious festival.”
verb + noun
Adjective
04. narrow slot
“He peered through a narrow slot in the fence to see what was happening.”
adj + noun
05. prime-time slot
“The new sitcom has been given a coveted prime-time slot on Thursday evenings.”
adj + noun
Noun
06. expansion slot
“You can upgrade your computer's performance by adding a new graphics card to the expansion slot.”
noun + noun
07. slot machine
“He spent the entire afternoon playing the slot machine at the airport lounge.”
noun + noun
Preposition
08. in the slot
“Make sure the card is firmly in the slot before you try to process the payment.”
prep + noun
Real-World Examples
“The first batch of tickets, which are sold out, were for slots between September and December.” “Raúl Jiménez slots home his penalty for Wolves in stoppage time.” Etymology
From Middle English slot, from Old French esclot, likely from Old Norse slóð (“track”). As a gambling machine, via clipping of slot machine. Compare sleuth. The scheduling (calendar) sense is by a metaphor whereby the time span is equated with the segment of a page or part of a device that represents it.
From Middle English slot, from Middle Low German slot or Middle Dutch slot, ultimately from Proto-West Germanic slot, from Proto-Germanic slutą, related to the verb *sleutaną (“to lock”). Cognate with Dutch slot, German Schloss (“door-bolt”). The verb is probably from Middle Dutch sluten (“to close, to lock”) (Modern Dutch sluiten (“to close”)).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/slot
「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0