A narrow notch, groove or opening, as in a machine or door. Also: a position or period of time within a schedule or sequence, as in She slotted herself into the 2 p.m. slot for her haircut. See also hole, slit, vent, slotting, and window.

Tommy Carmichael dreamed of becoming the slot master of Las Vegas, the man who could crack the code to a machine’s secrets and beat it at its own game. But that dream came crashing down on Independence Day, 1985, when police busted him at Denny’s with his top-bottom joint—a device for slotting coins into the slot without touching the reels. After a stint in the penitentiary, Carmichael vowed to continue his search for the next big win.