What is Domino?

Domino is a game played by two or more players. Each domino is a rectangular block with one or more ends bearing from one to six pips (or dots): 28 of these pieces form a complete set. A player takes turn playing a domino in the manner of a tile in a board game such as chess or checkers. The first player to play all of his or her dominoes wins the hand and earns a score equal to the total number of dots on all opponents’ unplayed dominoes.

Dominoes are often arranged in lines or other angular patterns, forming a structure called a domino map. Some types of domino games are played by moving these dominoes around the table while others involve building structures or scoring points. The number of dominoes required varies according to the particular game.

In the simplest game, dominoes are placed on a table and each player draws one domino to make the first play. Then each player adds a domino to the end of the line of plays by touching it with the exposed ends of a previous domino (one’s touch ones, two’s touch twos, and so on). If the resulting dominoes have a multiple of five on both ends, the player earns that number of points.

A player may also earn additional points by completing certain combinations on the table. These include adding a double to the end of a line of dominoes (and thus making it a “spinner”), adding a single to an empty line of plays, or adding an even-numbered pair to the end of a line of plays (as long as the pairs are not adjacent).

Domino is also used in other ways, including as a word to describe a pattern of events. For example, a legal or social setback can have a domino effect by causing others to follow in its wake.

The most common materials for domino sets are bone, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother of pearl, MOP), ivory, and ebony with contrasting black or white pips inlaid or painted. Various other natural materials are sometimes used, including stone (e.g., marble, granite or soapstone); other woods (e.g., acacia, oak or redwood); metals; and ceramic clay.

The name domino may have come from the French for hood, or from the Italian dominus, both of which refer to the upper part of a cloak worn with a mask at carnival time or at masquerades. In a much earlier sense, the word referred to the same garment, but it was usually longer and hung loosely from the shoulders. It may also have been derived from Latin dominus, meaning “lord” or “master.” The word came into widespread use in English after 1750.