A domino is a game piece with an arrangement of spots, or pips, like those on a die. It also has an identifying mark on one side and is blank or identically patterned on the other. The pips on a domino help determine the value of the piece and the rules that govern play.
Nearly all domino games fall into one of four categories: bidding games, blocking games, scoring games, and round games. Most of these games are adapted from card games, which were once popular to circumvent religious prohibitions against the playing of cards.
In addition to being a fun activity for families and groups of friends, domino is a useful tool for teaching students about the nature of systems and feedback. For example, the act of picking a task and giving it your full attention until it is completed helps develop focus and accountability. It also helps you learn to identify and prioritize tasks. By focusing on the main task each day, you can make significant progress. This type of behavior is known as the domino effect, and it can be a powerful lesson for employees.
The word domino comes from the Latin dominium, which means “flag” or “banner.” This word is related to other words that refer to banners and flagpoles. Historically, the term domino referred to a long hooded cape worn together with a mask at carnival or masquerade events. The hooded cape was sometimes made of ebony blacks and ivory, which reminded people of the contrasting colors of a priest’s surplice.
A domino has potential energy, which is its stored energy based on its position. When a domino is placed on the floor, it loses its potential energy and converts to kinetic energy as it falls over. This transformation from potential to kinetic energy is what causes one domino to topple over and cause other dominoes to do the same. The domino effect was first used by journalist Alsop in a political column in 1957. Eisenhower later cited the domino principle to explain the way Communism would spread throughout the world if America did not intervene.
When it is a player’s turn to lay a domino, the player must match one end of his or her own tile with an open end on the existing domino chain. Unless the tile is double, this must be perpendicular to the line of play. Players may add more tiles to the chain until it is finished.
Usually, after all the tiles have been matched and laid, players draw a hand of seven and then play until the winning player is determined. The player who draws the highest double goes first, and if there is a tie, the players draw again until a winner is determined. The unused tiles then remain face down for future use. These unused dominoes are sometimes referred to as the stock. Occasionally, a domino player will place the stock into a box or another container to keep it from being tampered with.