A slot is a depression or hollow in something; its original meaning is “a place for receiving something” (cf. “drop a coin in a slot”). The term is also synonymous with deer track. When a deer is wounded, the bloodhound will follow the slot. The term slot has become synonymous with slot machines, and there are many variations and uses for slots in games. The word slot can also refer to the area between faceoff circles.
A slot can also refer to a job opening or assignment in a computer system. It is a common term in the VLIW world. The relationship between the operation in an instruction and the pipeline that executes it is either explicit or implicit. The term “slot” is commonly used to describe the position of the chief copy editor on a newspaper’s copy desk. It can also refer to a space in an airport’s authorization and the air-traffic authority’s approval process.
If you are familiar with the concept of a slot, you may already be familiar with the term. In computer science, a slot is an opening in a computer. Sometimes it is referred to as an expansion slot, since it allows you to expand your computer’s capabilities by installing add-on boards. A computer may also have a slot or a bay that allows you to install a disk drive. Both are commonly found in the front or back of a computer.