A slot is a narrow depression, groove, notch, or opening for receiving or admitting something. A slot is also the name of a game or piece of equipment whereby one can win money by inserting a coin or other object in a machine. A slot may be used as a container or as an attachment for something, as in the case of the slot on a bike. The term is derived from the Latin word slitus, meaning cut or slitting.
The most common use of the term is in reference to time slots on a broadcasting schedule, such as the times when a TV show is broadcast. Increasingly, however, the phrase is used to describe the location in a database where data is stored, as in the slot of a table or index.
The term slot is also sometimes used to refer to a specific position or job, such as the “slot” of a newspaper article or the “slot” for an airline ticket salesperson. The term is especially common in the United States, where many businesses are owned by corporations that compete with each other to sell the same goods or services to consumers. As such, it is not uncommon for employees to be assigned to multiple jobs or positions.
A T-slot table is an extension for a universal testing machine that provides a way to securely hold components and structures that cannot be held by standard grips. The table mounts to the base of the universal testing machine and is equipped with T-slots that run front-to-back, side-to-side, and diagonally. Components and structures are inserted into the T-slots with commercially available T-slot nuts. Bolts, studs, or threaded rods are then attached to the nuts to secure them in place.
In BigQuery, a slot is a reserved unit of query processing capacity. When you submit a query, BigQuery automatically calculates how many slots it requires to execute the query and allocates those slots as needed. During a query’s execution, if the required number of slots is not available, BigQuery will pause the query and resume it as soon as additional capacity becomes available. Whether your queries are running on the on-demand or capacity-based pricing model, you can increase their available slot capacity by purchasing additional slots. Adding additional slots to your account increases the performance of your queries.