A domino is a small rectangular wood or plastic block that is divided into two sides, each of which has an arrangement of dots resembling those on dice. When a domino is laid down, it becomes the starting point of a line of subsequent blocks that are added one by one. The resulting series of connected blocks is known as a domino chain or a domino line. In general, each new domino added to the chain must be played in such a way that the adjacent ends of the tiles match (i.e., one’s touch each other or doubles touch). This creates a snake-like pattern as the chain develops, which is an essential part of many games of domino.
Lily Hevesh started playing with her grandparents’ 28-piece set of dominoes when she was about 9. She loved to build beautiful curved lines of dominoes and then flick them over to watch the entire chain fall. She continued to collect and play with them throughout her childhood, and eventually she began posting videos on YouTube of her own creations. Her channel now has over 2 million subscribers, and she’s created amazing domino sets for film, television, and events, including an album launch for pop star Katy Perry.
Dominoes are often used as an analogy to explain how a large task or project can be broken down into smaller, manageable tasks. They are also sometimes used to encourage people to be more careful of their words and actions. A good domino is a task that contributes to a larger goal and has a positive impact on the future. A bad domino, on the other hand, is a task that may seem small and insignificant but can have a large negative effect.
The word “domino” comes from the Latin word domini, meaning “he who rules.” The game of domino first appeared in the mid-18th century in Italy and France, and was introduced to England by French prisoners toward the end of that period. It was popularized as a fad in the early 1850s, and by the mid-19th century, it had become a worldwide craze.
Although dominoes are mostly made of polymers, they can be produced from other materials. For example, they can be molded from clay or from natural substances such as bone, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (“mother of pearl,” or ivory), and ebony. These types of sets are more expensive than those crafted from polymers, but they offer a more distinctive look and feel to the player.
Most domino games are scored by awarding points to the player who completes the longest domino chain in a given number of rounds or who earns a specific total amount of money over several rounds. The value of each individual domino depends on the type and color of its pips, as well as whether it has blank or numbered sides. The blank side of a domino can only be matched with another blank or a tile with a number on one of its pips.