Domino is a small rectangular block used as a game piece. It is normally twice as long as it is wide and is marked on one side with an arrangement of dots, known as pips, or blank or unmarked on the other side. The value of a domino is determined by its number of pips and its position in the stack of other dominoes, which are normally arranged in a line. When a domino is tipped over, it causes the other pieces in the line to tip over and so on. Very large and elaborate chains of dominoes can be constructed by carefully arranging the pieces.
Dominos are also used for playing various games of chance, usually involving matching pairs of tiles or tokens. The game is similar to a card game, with the player attempting to get all of his or her tiles to match in order to win. Various types of dominoes can be found, but the most common is the double-six set. This is the type most widely used in the United States and most other countries, but it is also possible to use double-eight sets and other variants.
Another popular usage of the word is in a reference to the domino effect, an action or event that has greater (or even catastrophic) consequences than would have been expected from its initial, smaller impact. In 1983, University of British Columbia physicist Lorne Whitehead demonstrated the power of this effect, setting up 13 dominoes in a row and showing how each subsequent domino tipped over the ones beneath it. The first domino in the row was only five millimeters tall, but the last was more than three feet tall and weighed 100 pounds.
In Marvel Comics, the character Domino is a mutant with a unique ability to create and control explosive chains of events. She is often called a “lucky” mutant, but her powers are far more sophisticated than mere luck. She is the product of a top-secret government genetic engineering program and was a test subject for Project Armageddon. After her biological mother broke her out of the project, Domino became a mercenary. She helped form the mercenary group Six Pack, led by Cable, but when that team dissolved after an incident in the Yucatan, Domino went her own way.
During the crossover between reality-295 and Earth-295, Domino met Lazarus, a mutant with a power that can manipulate emotion. He used his ability to manipulate Domino into attacking Copycat, whom she already resented for her year-long captivity.
The name Domino is also used as a given name, imparting the meaning of “dominant” or “powerful.” It has been applied to businesses, organizations and products to imply a sense of leadership and expertise.
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