In ice hockey, the slot refers to the space in front of the goaltender and between the face-off circles in the offensive zone. There are two distinct types of slots, with one being called the low slot and the other the high slot. A low slot refers to the area directly in front of the goaltender, while a high slot is located in the middle of the ice, above the face-off circles. When it comes to the role of the slot in a game, it can be defined as a space where a puck can be tipped up and into the net.
A slot’s pay table is a list of the credits a player can win when the symbols on the reels line up. Although some symbols can represent more than one other, it is rare for a machine to fail to pay its minimum payout after several pulls. The term “tilt” comes from electromechanical slot machines’ tilt switches, which broke the circuit when the machine was tipped, triggering an alarm. Modern slot machines do not have tilt switches, but they are still called tilt when the machine is not paying out as expected over several pulls.
The American Heritage Dictionary defines a slot as a “narrow opening, depression, notch, or slit,” a narrow opening that is usually used for receiving things or a specific purpose. A copy desk’s slot usually sits the chief copy editor. A certain species of bird uses a slot to allow smooth air to flow over its wings. Another common use for the term is in aviation, where the slots open up the leading edge of an aircraft’s wing to increase airflow.
