Domino is a small rectangular block with a number of pips (or dots) on each side. It is used as a gaming object in many games, most notably the game of dominoes. The pips are normally in the form of squares, circles, or crosses; they may also be plain, numerals, or arrows. Each domino is typically twice as long as it is wide; the value of a domino depends on its placement at either end of a line formed by the previous pieces played. Dominoes are also called bones, cards, men, or pieces; some sets are made from other natural materials, such as stone (e.g., marble, granite or soapstone) or wood (e.g., ivory or ebony).
In the Domino effect, each domino is ineffective on its own but becomes powerful when combined with other dominoes to form a chain reaction. Similarly, in novel writing, each scene is a domino that contributes to the overall plot. This is a key concept when writing your novel and can help you create scenes that are compelling, logical, and easy for readers to follow.
The word domino is sometimes used to refer to a set of rules for the game, although it is more commonly used to describe the physical structure of the dominoes themselves. The word appears to have originated in the late 17th century, and it may be derived from French dominus or a Latin diminutive form, such as dominus minor. It is also possible that it is a corruption of the earlier sense of the word, which denoted a loose cloak worn together with a mask for the upper part of the face at masquerades.
A domino is often a set of 28 oblong pieces, each bearing one or more pips, used to play a game of chance and skill in which the goal is to form a line of all of the pieces. Each player chooses a piece from the boneyard, and then attempts to lay it down on the end of an existing line. To do this, the piece must match the value of the dominoes at both ends of the existing line. If a player cannot find a matching domino, they must continue choosing from the boneyard until one has a suitable piece to play or all of the pieces are out.
The domino theory was a political argument used by the United States government to justify its actions in Latin America during the 1970s. In particular, Richard Nixon argued that the United States should destabilize the Salvador Allende regime in Chile because a Communist Chile and Cuba would create a “red sandwich” that could entrap Latin America between them. The argument failed in a major way, but it served its purpose of justifying the American intervention in Vietnam. The argument also inspired the song “Domino Theory,” by The Waterboys.