A Slit Is Cut, a Slot Is Made
A slit is a long narrow opening. It differs from a slot in how it comes into being.
A slit is a long narrow cut or opening, and *to slit* is to make one. The useful distinction is origin: a slit is produced by cutting, so its edges would meet again if released, while a slot is a shaped opening with material removed. A slit skirt is cut; a coin slot is machined. The word is Old English *slitan*, to tear, and it gives *split* by a related route. In optics, a narrow slit is what makes light diffract, the basis of the double-slit experiment.
- A narrow opening. *A slit in the curtain.*
- To cut lengthwise. *Slitting the envelope.*
- Slot — a shaped opening. *A slot.*
- Slit trench. *A slit trench.*
- Old English — *slitan*, to tear. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | slit | A slit. |
| Verb | slit | Slitting. |
| Past | slit | Slit. |
| Related | split | To split. |
| Old English | slitan | To tear. |
- A slit of light appeared.Opening.
- She slit the envelope.Verb.
- The double-slit experiment.Physics.
Openings by how they are made
- Slit — cut, edges could close again
- Slot — shaped with material removed
- Hole — an opening of any shape
- Gap — a space between two things
- Aperture — a controlled opening, as in a camera
Old English *slitan*, to tear or split, of Germanic origin.
What is the difference between a slit and a slot?
A slit is cut, so its edges could meet again; a slot is a shaped opening with material removed.
What is the double-slit experiment?
A physics demonstration in which light passing through two narrow slits produces an interference pattern.