Domino is a small rectangular gaming piece that can be stacked on end to form long lines. When a domino is tipped over, it causes the next domino in the line to tip over and so on until all of them fall. This is what inspired the phrase, “the domino effect,” which refers to a chain reaction that starts with one simple action and leads to much larger consequences.
Dominoes are also popular toys that children can use to create elaborate patterns. They can be tipped over one at a time, or they can be stood up and lined up in curved rows so that the first domino must fall into the space left by the last. If a child is careful, they can create intricate designs that look impressive when the dominoes are knocked down.
Many of these games are based on the concept that each domino has a unique set of spots on each side, called pips. The number of pips on a domino determines what type of game it can be played and what rules must be followed. In addition, a domino can have more than one suit; for example, it may be a member of the suit of twos and the suit of sixes.
A traditional domino set consists of 28 pieces, also known as bones, men, stones, cards or tiles. Each domino has a line down its middle that separates each end into two squares, and the backs of each piece are blank or have some common design. A domino can represent any combination of spot counts between zero and six. The most common domino sets are called double six or double nine, though larger ones exist that contain more dominoes.
The word domino is derived from the Latin term for a flattened and elongated rectangular shape. It also has an earlier sense that referred to a cape worn by a priest over his or her surplice during a carnival season or masquerade.
Although it isn’t clear when domino began to be used to refer to a specific piece of gaming equipment, it was by the 17th century that the word had come to mean a long hooded cloak. The modern sense of the word appeared in English shortly after 1750, and it may have been borrowed from French, where it had previously meant a drape or cape that contrasted with a white surplice.
Lily Hevesh, a professional domino artist who has created massive setups for movies and TV shows, says that the laws of physics are essential to her work. Hevesh’s colossal creations take several nail-biting minutes to complete, but once the first domino is tipped over, gravity takes over and carries it toward Earth where it’s converted into kinetic energy that causes other dominoes to topple.
Hevesh believes the same principles apply to a person’s daily life. If you start with one simple action, such as making your bed every morning, it will create a wave of new habits that may extend to other areas of your life.