A domino is a small rectangular block of wood or plastic, each side bearing an arrangement of dots resembling those on dice. It is the main component of a set of dominoes, 28 such pieces in total, used to play games where a player scores points by placing dominoes end to end so that their exposed ends match (i.e., a pair of one’s touch, two’s touch three’s, and so on). The word domino may also refer to:

In this context, the term domino is usually used to describe the cascade of effects that occur when a person or organization takes an action that affects many other people or organizations. For example, a single misstep can cause the loss of jobs, legal issues, or even bankruptcy for a large company. This is often called the “domino effect.”

A Domino Construction

One of the most common uses of domino is in a game where players try to create a chain of dominoes that will fall when a person plays a tile that matches it. These chains, also known as dominoes or a set, are often quite intricate and involve several different colors of dominoes that must be arranged in specific ways in order to form the desired result.

When a domino is played, it is placed so that its edge touches the end of another domino or the side of the table on which it is sitting. The other dominoes then have the opportunity to be played in a way that increases or decreases the number of pips on a particular end or makes it match the number of pips on the other end. A domino with no pips on either end is often called a “blank” and is valued zero.

The value of each domino is determined by the number of pips on its exposed ends, which are sometimes called a “point” or “dot.” A domino with two exposed points is worth twice as much as a domino with only one pointed end. Normally, the number of pips on an end is indicated by the color of the dot; for example, double-six is the value of a domino with six pips on its exposed ends.

Dominoes can be arranged in various ways to make beautiful artwork. A domino art piece can be as simple or elaborate as the artist wants, from straight lines, curved lines, grids that form pictures, stacked walls, or 3D structures like towers and pyramids. Some artists create a plan for their domino art before they begin, while others just let the pieces fall in a flow that they are pleased with.

Creating a domino art is similar to designing a building or an engineering project, in that the designer must consider the overall effect that will be produced by each of its parts. For instance, the first domino must be balanced in such a way that it will provide enough push to knock over all of the dominoes below it. In addition, the design must be able to withstand the rigors of repeated use and handling.