A domino is a small rectangular block of wood or plastic, the face of which is blank or has a number of dots resembling those on dice. Dominoes can be used to play a wide variety of games. In most domino games, a player places a domino edge to edge against another, positioning it so that the numbers on both ends of the tile match or form some specified total. Players then play additional tiles on top of the first, building a chain of dominoes that increases in length.
Dominoes are often used as a visual metaphor for larger processes and goals. By breaking a goal down into smaller steps, the process becomes more manageable and the individual tasks more achievable. For example, creating a financial plan can be broken down into several good dominoes, such as outlining finances, creating a budget, and executing that budget. By concentrating on one of these dominoes each day, progress toward the goal can be made.
In Dominos, the most important task of each day is referred to as the “main domino,” and this domino must be knocked over before proceeding with other tasks. This method of work is also a popular way for managers to organize their workdays. By ranking tasks according to their impact, the manager can spend the majority of her time on the most important tasks each day.
Whether you are playing domino with friends or using the game as a learning tool, it is important to follow the basic rules. Each domino has a set of rules that must be followed in order to play the game correctly. The word domino is derived from the Latin domini, meaning “fate” or “destiny.” In English and French, it earlier denoted a long hooded cloak worn together with a mask during carnival season or at a masquerade.
The pips on a domino are color coded to make it easy to distinguish the different types of tiles. A traditional domino set contains a domino for each possible combination of numbers, from one through six. There are also larger sets, such as a double-twelve or a double-nine set, that contain more than 91 dominoes.
When a domino is set down, much of its potential energy converts to kinetic energy, the energy that causes it to fall. Some of this energy is transmitted to the next domino, which provides the push that knocks it over, and so on. Dominoes can be arranged to create beautiful art pieces, such as murals or sculptures.
In addition to the standard polymer domino sets, there are also sets made of natural materials such as bone, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother of pearl), ivory, and ebony. These are often more expensive, but offer a unique look. Some of these sets have the top half thickness in mother of pearl or ivory, with the lower half in ebony. They are also more durable, and can be passed from player to player in the event that a player cannot continue to place a domino.
