Domino is a name that conjures up images of power and control. It’s a word that’s been applied to people, businesses and products that want to project a sense of leadership and expertise. It’s also a word that has been used as a first name, keeping alive the authoritative undertones of its Latin roots.
In the earliest sense of the word, domino meant a large hooded cloak worn with masks at masquerades. Its modern meaning dates from the early 19th century. The word is derived from the Latin dominus, meaning “lord,” or master.
The word is often used in reference to the ability of an individual or organization to affect events through a process of cascading consequences that are similar to a chain reaction or the spreading of a fire. For example, a person who accidentally tips over one brick on a sidewalk will cause many more bricks to topple over and crash into each other. This is what is known as the Domino Effect.
In terms of writing, domino is a metaphor for the way that a single action can trigger a series of events that have significant effects on the life of an author. This is the reason that writers are always advised to make sure that each scene in a novel is tied to the next in a clear and obvious way.
Dominoes are small, oblong blocks made of wood or other material and typically twice as long as they are wide. They have a square or rectangular base, with either blank or numbered sides that are divided into parts, or ends, marked with from one to six pips or dots. A complete set of dominoes contains 28 pieces. They are normally played with a set of dice, and each domino represents one of the 21 possible outcomes of two thrown dice (2d6). In some games, the pips on each end of a domino determine its value, while in others the dominoes are arranged in a line and matched by their values.
In addition to the traditional wooden dominoes, sets are now available in a variety of materials including marble, granite, soapstone, and other types of stone; ceramic clay; metals such as brass or pewter; and woods such as ebony, mahogany and oak. They are sometimes decorated with inlaid or painted pips, and some sets contain different colors of pips.
The pips on a domino can be read from the top down, but they are more easily discerned when the domino is held in front of a light source, such as a flashlight or a piece of paper. The pips are usually white, black or red. They may have a brushed finish to make them more readable. Many manufacturers also produce larger, molded plastic dominoes that are easier to see. In some cases, a domino is colored to match the theme of a game or to be more attractive and appealing to children. The color is usually molded in or painted on the edge of each domino.