Dominoes are small, oblong tiles marked with a pattern of 0-6 dots, or “pips,” on both sides. They are used in the game of dominoes, in which players take turns laying down tile after tile until they form a line of pips. The value of a player’s piece is determined by the number and arrangement of pips on the end it touches, which determines how many pips must be covered by the next played piece.
In fiction, the idea of a domino effect is a powerful metaphor for how one event can affect a whole story line or scene. For example, a character’s death can set off a chain reaction that affects multiple characters, much like the falling of a single domino.
The word domino is derived from the Latin dominus, meaning “lord.” In its original sense, it meant a loose cloak worn with a mask for the upper part of the face at masquerades. By the early 19th century, it had come to refer to any kind of acrobatic stunt performed in a circus or carnival show. The figurative use of the word was inspired by the sight of people standing in careful sequence, all ultimately toppling with a nudge from just one person.
Dominoes were first used in a game called “Face-up & Flop.” In this game, a player placed his domino (also known as a bone, card, men, or pieces) on an oblong base of wood that was the shape of an upside down pyramid. He then placed another domino atop the first, with the same pattern of pips on both, forming a vertical stack of tiles. The first player then flipped his domino, causing the stack to fall over and cover his tiles. He then scored points by counting the pips on the fallen tiles.
In modern times, dominoes have been made of a variety of materials and in many different shapes. They may be made of metal, ivory, wood (usually ebony), or polymer. The most common are polymer dominoes, which are lightweight and inexpensive to manufacture. However, high-quality sets of dominoes are often made from natural materials, including bone, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother of pearl or MOP), and other precious and semiprecious stones; or from hardwoods such as mahogany and walnut; or even frosted glass.
A domino is normally twice as long as it is wide, which makes for easy re-stacking. The identity-bearing side of a domino is divided by a line or ridge into two squares, each bearing an arrangement of spots, or pips, like those on a die, except that some squares are blank or have no pips at all. Each of these squares may have a value, based on the number of pips on the adjacent square, from six pips up to none at all. The player who makes the first play, as determined by the rules of the game being played, is said to be the setter or downer.