A domino is a flat, thumb-sized rectangular block, with one side bearing from one to six pips or dots and the other blank or identically patterned. A set of 28 such pieces makes a complete domino. A domino can be used to play several different games. In general, each domino must come into contact with another before a new piece can be added to the chain or the game ends.
Dominos can be made of many materials, including ivory and bone (usually from the lower lip of the oyster or “mother of pearl”); a dark hardwood such as ebony; metals like brass or pewter; ceramic clay; and frosted glass. Most contemporary domino sets are made of plastic or polymer, but some artisanal and specialty domino sets use natural materials such as these, for a more distinctive look and feel.
The name domino comes from the Latin dominus, meaning “lord.” The word was first used in English around 1750, though it existed earlier in French, where it may have referred to a long hooded cloak worn together with a mask at carnivals or masquerades. It later came to refer to a playing piece that evoked these hooded garments, with its contrasting blacks and whites.
A domino game is played by two or more players, with the object of achieving a total score higher than your opponents’. To do this, players take turns placing a domino in their hand. When a player has no more dominoes to place, they must draw from the boneyard and add them to their hand, keeping in mind that any dominoes they have already placed will count against them in their scoring.
There are hundreds of different domino games, some of them quite complex. Some are based on the same principles but with varying rules, while others require more strategic planning to succeed. For example, in the game of double-six, players must place dominoes so that the number of dots on the first domino played will match the number on the second. This can be accomplished by laying dominoes in a line or forming other shapes, such as a square, tower or pyramid.
In addition to traditional domino games, some people enjoy using the individual pieces to create artistic designs. They can make straight lines, curved lines, grids that form pictures when the dominoes fall and even 3D structures like stacked walls.
A good way to learn how to play a domino game is by reading a book on the subject. For a comprehensive guide to many of the most popular domino games, try “The Great Book of Domino Games” by Jennifer A. Kelley. The book is available in print and on Amazon. Alternatively, there are also many online books on the topic that will help you get started. To test a design before making it permanent, Hevesh will build the entire structure on a table and then film the tests in slow motion. This allows her to see how each section will fall and make any necessary adjustments.