The Basics of Dominoes
Dominoes are cousins of dice and playing cards and allow for a wide variety of games. From professional domino game competitions to setting them up and knocking them over, dominoes are an exciting, challenging way to pass the time. They are used to teach counting and number recognition to children, and they can also be used to develop hand-eye coordination.
A domino is a rectangular piece of wood, bone, marble, ceramic clay or other material, with a line running down the middle to divide it visually into two squares and mark each side with one or more numbers. These numbers, called spots or pips, indicate the value of the domino on its corresponding end. A domino that has the same number on both ends is a double, and one with the same value on all four ends is a triple. The number of pips on each end determines the rank or weight of the domino, with those having the most on one side being considered “heavier” than those with fewer on all four sides.
Each domino is typically twice as long as it is wide, which makes it easier to stack them up after use. They can be arranged in rows or columns and are normally stacked on top of each other, with the topmost domino being “blank”, that is, not covered by any others. The pieces are then set in play, where a player can place them edge to edge against an opponent’s to form a chain or pattern. The first to successfully place all of their dominoes in play wins the round and moves on to the next.
Traditionally, a domino set was made of bone, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother of pearl), ivory or a dark hardwood such as ebony, with contrasting black or white pips inlaid or painted on the face of the tile. More recently, sets have been made from other materials such as natural stone (e.g., marble or soapstone); other woods such as ash, oak, redwood and cedar; metals (e.g. brass and pewter); or even frosted glass or crystal. These newer materials offer a more novel look to the pieces, but they are generally much more expensive than the traditional woods and MOP.
While the word domino has no definite origin and may mean “little ruler” in some languages, it has a history of association with the rule of God. Earlier, in English and French, the term referred to a long, hooded cloak worn together with a mask at a carnival season or masked ball. In the early nineteenth century, it also came to mean the cape worn by a priest over his surplice. The word is still in common usage in these contexts. Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Contemporary Usage notes that the phrase, referring to the cloak and the masked dance, is probably an allusion to the domino effect, a concept introduced by behavioral economist Dan Ariely. This theory describes how a small change can have large effects by cascading through the system of interconnected elements.