In computing, a slot is a grammatical construct that combines the data paths and the operation issue machinery. A slot is a common term in VLIW systems, where the relationship between an operation in an instruction and the pipeline that will execute it is either implicit or explicit. The term is also used to describe an air-traffic authority authorized to operate a particular airport. Using the correct definition of a slot will help you to avoid pitfalls that can make your experience with the slot more unpredictable.

There are several types of slots, including custom and built-in. You can define any value that you want to map to a slot, and you can also add a prompt. These are located under the Utterance tab. When adding a slot, make sure that it has an ISO-8601-compliant format, as that will be used for any values that you place inside the slot. Alternatively, you can use builtin-datetime or builtin-time to map date and time values to the respective slots.

Another common term for slot is “slotter”. The word has several different meanings, but it most commonly refers to a hollow in the throat above the breastbone. Old French esclot is similar to Old English slot, but its origin is not entirely clear. The word also has Old Norse roots, and the definition of slotter is related to “hook.”