A narrow depression, notch, groove, or slit, especially one for receiving something, such as a coin or a letter. Also: a. An assigned place in a sequence or schedule: I scheduled the haircut for two o’clock. b. A position or job in an organization or hierarchy: He was offered the third-ranked slot.

A gap between the main and auxiliary wings of an aircraft to provide space for airflow during flight.

In ornithology, a narrow notch between the tips of a bird’s primaries to facilitate a smooth flow of air over the wings during flight. In ice hockey, an unmarked area near the opposing team’s goal that affords a vantage for an attacking player.

Linguistics. A position in a construction into which any of a set of morphemes or morpheme sequences can fit, as in The verb “to slot” can be replaced by the preposition “in.” Compare filler (def 9).

To arrange something into or into a slot, as in She slotted the file into the folder. She also slotted the bacon on a broiler tray so it wouldn’t drip. See also: hole, slit, crevice, rut, track, trail. The D-4s being heavy vehicles, they had trouble with the slots and crevasses right from the start of their Antarctic adventure. (slang) To track or follow, as a bloodhound follows the trail of a deer. To assign someone to a slot, as in I slotted his appointment for four o’clock. See also: slot machine, slit, tracker, tally.