slot machine
Americannoun
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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.
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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.
They’re a liquid alternative asset, basically the closest thing you could get to a sparkly cartoon slot machine, where one lucky pull could mean hundreds of dollars in profit.
From Slate ● Aug. 31, 2026
While I wait for my outlawed tires to be mounted, I’ll find a slot machine.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
For a moment, Taylor Detector is an exceptionally boring slot machine.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026
"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
Now, he’s as cheerful and flashy as the winning slot machine.
From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti
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.
