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slot 1 (slŏt)
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n.
1. A narrow opening; a groove or slit: a slot for coins in a vending machine; a mail slot.
2. A gap between a main and auxiliary airfoil to provide space for airflow and facilitate the smooth passage of air over the wing.
3.
a. An assigned place in a sequence or schedule: a new time slot for a TV program.
b. A position of employment in an organization or hierarchy.
4. Computers An expansion slot.
5. Informal A slot machine designed for gambling: lost $100 playing the slots.
6.
a. Football A space or gap between an end and a tackle in an offensive line.
b. Sports An unmarked area in front of the goal between the face-off circles on an ice hockey rink.
tr.v. slot·ted, slot·ting, slots
1. To cut or make a slot or slots in.
2. To put into or assign to a slot.
[Middle English, hollow of the breastbone, from Old French esclot.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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