Domino is a small, rectangular block used in gaming. Dominos are often referred to as bones, men, pieces, or cards and are sometimes made of wood, bone, or plastic. They are typically arranged so that one side is printed with a number of spots, while the other side is blank. Dominoes are commonly used in positional games, in which players place one domino edge to edge against another, positioning the domino so that its end matches either a number or a gap on the adjacent side of the other domino.
In addition to being fun, playing domino can also improve a player’s hand-eye coordination and math skills. Most domino games are played on a flat surface, such as a table or floor. The most common domino set is the double-6, but many of the newer and more popular games are designed to be played with larger sets, such as the double-9, double-12, or double-15 sets. Each domino has a number of dots, or pips, that are represented in a variety of ways, from traditional suit distinctions to the modern numerical markings on the two faces. Most games are played by a single player, but many are designed for multiple players.
When a domino is placed on its side with its open ends touching each other, it becomes “stitched up.” A player may then play a tile onto the table that has a matching end to that of the matched tile. This creates a domino chain, or string, that grows in length as each player takes turns placing tiles. The first player to fully fill a domino chain wins the game.
Dominoes have a tendency to resist motion when no force is pushing or pulling on them. But a tiny nudge is all it takes to tip them over. When a domino is pushed over, its potential energy transforms into kinetic energy and it pushes the next domino until it, in turn, tips over, and so on.
When a man named Mark Wildstein was arrested for his part in a drug ring, he unwittingly set off a chain reaction of legal and social dominoes that have yet to come down. He was not only stripped of his rights as an American citizen, but he could now face criminal charges or be fired from his job at CVS.
The domino effect is a well-known phenomenon that describes how an event at one location can influence events at other locations in a predictable pattern. The term is also used to describe the impact of a company’s policies on its employees. For example, if a company’s policy on employee dress code is strict, it can have a domino effect in the workplace, where other companies follow suit and loosen their own policies.