slot machine

noun

1
: a machine whose operation is begun by dropping a coin into a slot
2
: an originally coin-operated gambling machine that pays off according to the matching of symbols on wheels spun by a handle
also : an electronic version of this machine

Examples of slot machine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The project — featuring 1,000 slot machines and 50 table games, gift shops and restaurants, workforce housing and around 2,000 parking spaces — has drawn opposition for weeks as neighbors decry its potential impact on this historic mining town. John Aguilar, Denver Post, 19 Oct. 2025 The multiple blackjack and roulette tables and slot machines start operating once the ship is offshore. Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2025 Johnson also said there will be a bar and slot machines for of-age customers. Angelika Ytuarte, jsonline.com, 2 Oct. 2025 In the United Kingdom, there's a new 5 pound limit (about $7) on every spin on a slot machine, and gambling companies are now subject to a 1 percent levy that goes into a fund for treatment and prevention of gambling disorders. Karen Brown, NPR, 30 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for slot machine

Word History

First Known Use

1891, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of slot machine was in 1891

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Cite this Entry

“Slot machine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slot%20machine. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

slot machine

noun
1
: a machine whose operation is begun when a coin is dropped into a slot
2
: a coin-operated gambling machine that pays off for the matching of symbols on wheels spun by a handle

More from Merriam-Webster on slot machine

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