Domino is the name of a game and a type of tile, but it also refers to a chain of events that starts with one small action and ultimately leads to much larger consequences. It’s a good metaphor for how a writer might want to plot a novel, even if they don’t use an outline or the software Scrivener.
Dominos are usually made from a mixture of different materials, including bone, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother-of-pearl), ivory, or dark hardwoods such as ebony with contrasting black or white pips inlaid or painted on them. More recently, sets have been crafted from other natural substances as well, such as marble or granite; soapstone; metals like brass or pewter; and ceramic clay. They can be either straight lines or curved, or they can be arranged into grids that form pictures when they fall.
A domino set is used to play a number of games that involve stacking the tiles on end and then tipping them so that they all topple in sequence. Players can then follow the pattern of the chain to win the game. A domino that has a number showing on both ends is known as a double, and the way in which it’s placed will affect how the shape of the chain develops, with doubles placed cross-ways across the end of an existing piece or perpendicular to it.
Another popular game involves drawing tiles and then putting them in order, with the goal of winning by placing all your dominoes on the table. This game is called the Draw Game, and it’s popular in many parts of the world. The players start with a smaller number of dominoes and then pass their turns when they can’t find any more to place on the board. When a player cannot put down any more dominoes, they pick another domino from the “boneyard” and add it to their set. This process continues until one player wins by playing all of their dominoes or until neither player can play any more.
One other way in which the word domino can be used is to refer to a business structure. For example, Domino’s Pizza has a system of leadership that’s described as “domino management.” It emphasizes leadership that is highly visible and open to employees, rather than a hierarchical structure that focuses on top-down authority and control.
The earliest senses of the word, in both English and French, involved hooded garments that might be worn with a mask during carnival season or at a masquerade. This connection may be a result of the black domino pieces that were once made, with their stark contrast to ivory faces. In the late 18th century, the term became associated with a particular style of card game used to circumvent religious prohibitions against using cards. In addition, the word may have been inspired by the way that the overlapping edges of the dominoes looked. By the early 20th century, domino was also being used to mean a certain type of building, with the distinctive design that was created by adding squares to the sides of a rectangular box.