A slot is a thin opening or groove in something that can be used to receive information or objects. For example, a mailbox has a slot through which mail can be delivered. A slot can also refer to a place in an aircraft or airport that limits the number of flights allowed to take off or land at a time. This is a way to manage air traffic at busy airports, and prevent repeated delays caused by too many planes trying to take off or land at the same time.
In computer science, a slot can also refer to a memory location that is assigned to a particular function. For instance, an application might use a memory location to store a list of values that can be used to represent the results of a calculation. This allows an application to easily access this data without having to compute the value each time it needs to perform a computation.
In football, a slot receiver is a wide receiver who lines up closer to the center of the field than typical wideouts. This position is becoming more popular in the NFL, as it requires speed and quick route running, rather than size or physicality. Slot receivers tend to run shorter routes, such as slants and quick outs, to get open against linebackers and other defensive backs. They are often used on obvious passing downs to move the chains and get first downs.
