A domino is a rectangular gaming piece with a line down the center visually dividing it into two square ends, each bearing a number of dots (or “pips”) or a blank. A domino set typically contains 28 such pieces, also referred to as bones, stones, men, cards or pieces. A domino’s value is determined by the sum of its pips, or in other words, its rank. The rank of a domino may vary from one game to another, but is usually defined in terms of a range of values such as double-six through double-blank.
A standard European-style domino set has a total of 28 tiles. The pips on each end of a domino are usually arranged in a specific pattern, with the majority having two pips and the remainder having one or more. Some sets, such as the very popular double-six set, have a total of 12 pips on each end.
The purpose of a domino set is to play one or more games that are played by matching the ends of the dominoes and laying them down in lines or angular patterns. The most common games are Block and Draw.
While the majority of the world’s games use a standard domino set, many others have developed to take advantage of the unique properties and complexities of different types of dominoes. Many of these games are designed to provide a variety of strategic and tactical challenges for the players.
Dominoes are a great tool for teaching children basic counting skills. They are also a great way for children to practice the concept of cause and effect, as they watch the first domino in a long line tipping, which causes the next domino in the line to tip, and so on. Eventually, a very complex structure can be built up, which gives rise to the popular phrase “the domino effect,” which describes any sequence of events that begins with a relatively small and seemingly insignificant action but ultimately leads to much larger-and often catastrophic-consequences.
In the modern sense, the word domino is most commonly used to describe a game involving the laying of dominoes in a chain. Each player must place a domino such that its two matching ends touch (one’s touching one’s, two’s touching two’s, etc.). The resulting chain of dominoes, which develops into snake-line shapes at the whim of each player, is then scored.
In the early nineteenth century, domino was also used to refer to a long hooded cloak worn together with a mask at a carnival or masquerade ball. In some languages, such as French, the term may also have originally referred to a cape worn by a priest over his surplice. These earlier meanings of the word have not influenced the current usage of the term.