slot machine
Americannoun
-
a gambling machine operated by inserting coins into a slot and pulling a handle that activates a set of spinning symbols on wheels, the final alignment of which determines the payoff that is released into a receptacle at the bottom.
-
any machine operated by inserting coins into a slot, as a vending machine.
noun
Etymology
Origin of slot machine
First recorded in 1890–95
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"You win £20 credit and £30 instant win prizes and it keeps you going and feeling, 'oh, this is fun'. It's like when you play a slot machine," she said.
From BBC • May 13, 2026
The bill also seeks to prohibit “casino-style games” from being listed on the platforms, such as slot machine games, video poker, blackjack and bingo.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026
Mosseri was the first major Silicon Valley figure to appear before the jury to defend himself against accusations that Instagram functions as little more than a dopamine "slot machine" for vulnerable young people.
From Barron's • Feb. 11, 2026
Playing the HHR machines is identical to the experience of playing a slot machine.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 10, 2025
Casinos encourage this tendency by making sure that every quarter that’s won in a slot machine causes lights to blink and makes its own little tinkle in the metal tray.
From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
