Domino is a popular board game that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. It’s a great way to exercise dexterity, improve memory, and socialize with friends and family. Plus, there are tons of games to choose from! You can find a variety of domino apps that make it easy to play from anywhere.
A domino is a small rectangular tile with a line down its center. It is blank on one side and patterned with an arrangement of dots, similar to the spots on a die, on the other side. Most dominoes are numbered from 1 to 6, with some being blanks or having no pips (indicated by a 0). A complete set of dominoes consists of 28 tiles.
The word “domino” and the game itself appear to have originated around 1750, though the word may be derived from an earlier sense of the term: a long hooded cloak worn with a mask during carnival season or at masquerades. In French, the word also denoted a cape worn by a priest over his surplice.
Most games of domino involve players blocking each other’s play or scoring points by counting the number of pips on a single tile. Those who have no matching pips are out. Some games mimic card games to avoid religious prohibitions against playing cards.
A standard set of dominoes contains 28 tiles with varying numbers of pips on each end. Larger sets, such as double-nine or double-12, exist to accommodate more players or longer games. There are also “extended” sets that increase the maximum number of pips on each end by three, producing more unique combinations.
Before a hand or game begins, the dominoes are shuffled. This can be done by placing them all face-down on the table and moving them in a random manner, being careful not to flip over any of them. A collection of shuffled dominoes is known as the boneyard.
The idiom domino effect refers to the idea that a chain reaction, starting with just one small trigger, can lead to a larger cascade of events. For example, the fall of a communist country could cause other countries to fall, which would then prompt their neighbors to follow suit. This theory is often used in political analysis to explain why a change in one country can have such a profound effect on surrounding nations and the world at large. However, it is also commonly used in business and economics to describe the impact of one company or industry on others.