A small rectangular wood or plastic block with a square face divided into two equal parts and marked by an arrangement of spots or dots similar to those on dice. A domino is distinguished from other similar blocks by its ability to be tipped over, thereby causing a series of events that continue until all the pieces have fallen. Dominoes are used in a variety of games. They can also be arranged in long lines to create beautiful designs. A single domino can be used to build much more complex structures, such as a castle or a train track.
In addition to their use in games, dominoes can be used as a teaching aid for math students. By counting each piece and calculating the number of steps needed to reach a destination, students can understand concepts such as fractions and multiplication. For this reason, some schools and libraries offer a set of dominoes for use by students in their classrooms.
Domino has been in use for centuries, and the word itself may have come from an earlier sense of “hooded cloak worn with a mask at a carnival or masquerade.” The name of the game came later, around 1750, and was originally a portmanteau of “domino” and “chariot.” Today’s domino sets are often made of polymers such as plastic, though the originals were often handmade from ivory, bone, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother of pearl), or ebony, with black or white pips.
One of the most popular uses of a domino is in the expression, “domino effect.” This refers to a chain reaction that starts with a small event and eventually leads to more dramatic and even catastrophic results. It is easy to see this in action in movies like While You Were Sleeping, in which Sandra Bullock’s character, Lucy, finds herself in a very tricky situation. A few little nudges from the outside world might have been all it took to tip over thousands of unmoving dominoes, but in this case the authors reached into their bag of deus ex machina and delivered Lucy’s QC to the rescue at just the right moment.
When writing a story, it can be helpful to think of each scene as its own domino. A single scene domino might be insignificant on its own, but in combination with other scenes it can have a big impact. This is the idea behind domino effect, and it is a technique that I teach to my clients who are looking for book editing services. Think of each plot beat as a domino, and try to connect the scenes together in ways that will have a big impact. Domino effect is a great way to add drama and tension to your story. If you can do this, your reader will be on the edge of their seat, waiting to see what happens next! Just make sure you have enough dominoes. Otherwise, your audience might lose interest and turn away from your story.