A narrow opening in something, often used to take coins in a machine or to place letters and postcards in a postbox. He dropped a coin in the slot and dialed. Also: hole, slit, vent, aperture, vacancy, pocket, window, niche. (Colloquial) To insert or place something into a slot: She slotted the new filter into the engine.

In football, the term slot refers to a receiver who lines up in an inside position on the field, opposite the outside wide receiver. The position is highly coveted by teams and some players, especially those with speed and agility. It’s a difficult position to defend, and successful teams tend to have plenty of players that thrive in it. Tyreek Hill, for example, has made a name for himself in the slot this season by racking up huge numbers and touchdowns.

The slot receiver is a vital part of most offensive plans and teams. They need to be quick and agile in order to run complex routes, but they also need to be strong enough to block for running backs and tight ends on running plays. They’re usually called into pre-snap motion by the quarterback and must be able to beat the defense to the ball in a variety of ways.

They also need to be able to help block for running backs on sweeps and slants. They can also act as the ball carrier on some plays, including pitch and end-arounds. On pass plays, they’re usually asked to run routes that match up with the other wide receivers. This is an attempt to confuse the defense and give the quarterback time to throw.

During the 1960s, Sid Gillman began to develop offenses that put two wide receivers on the weak side of the defense and a running back in the slot to attack all three levels of the defense. When Al Davis took over as coach of the Raiders in 1963, he adopted Gillman’s strategies and developed what became known as the slot formation.

In modern slot machines, the computers that control them can assign different probabilities to each symbol on each reel. This means that it might seem to the player as if a particular symbol is “so close” to appearing on a pay line, when in reality it’s a lot farther away.

The jackpot of a progressive slot machine has no set end date, but once the prize hits a certain amount, it stops growing. This is in contrast to other types of casinos, where the jackpot grows until it’s won, then begins anew. This system allows a casino to offer jackpots that are much bigger than those of competing sites. For players, it means that they have a better chance of winning the big prize, but also means that the jackpot won’t be hit as frequently. It’s a trade-off that most players are willing to make.