A domino is a small, rectangular block used in various games. It is made of either plastic or wood and has a line in the middle. The most common version of the game is played with a double-six set, where each player draws seven tiles from a stock. However, there are several other variations, including solitaire, five-up, and trick-taking.
Dominos are usually black and white rectangles with identifying marks on one side. Each tile has an arrangement of spots and can be either blank or marked with a number. There is also a line down the middle of the domino, and each end has two squares. When the first domino in a line is tipped, the next domino will fall down.
Dominoes were popular in France during the mid-18th century. They were then imported to England by French prisoners of war. Since then, they have spread across the world. Most commonly, they are played for scoring and positional games. These games can be complicated and are often played with multiple players.
While they are most commonly used for games with a single player, they can be used for more complex games with a group of people. For example, in Five-Up, each player chooses a different colored tile and then tries to knock down all of his or her opponents’ tiles. This can be a fun game for children.
Other versions of dominoes include the Chinese version, which is used for a variety of traditional Chinese games. In fact, Chinese dominoes are called pupai and are said to be similar to the game Che Deng.
Unlike the European version of the game, Chinese dominoes do not require matching. The numbers on the tiles do not represent suits. Instead, they are based on the faces of the thrown dice. Using this system, it is possible to branch out from one suit to the other, making it a lot like playing cards.
The first known use of the word domino in English was in the 1771 Dictionnaire de Trevoux. Originally, the word meant “a long hooded cloak worn by priests.” Eventually, it came to mean a masquerade mask.
Although the word has several different meanings, it is most likely a variant of the French word cape, which is a short term for a masquerade costume. As with other words, the examples selected here do not reflect the views of Webster’s New World College Dictionary.
Although there are many nicknames for dominoes, their main characteristic is their size. They are normally about twice as long as they are wide. Many children prefer to play the game as toys, since it allows them to have a little more control over their movements. One fun way to play the game is to stack the dominoes on top of each other in long rows.
The game of dominoes originated in Italy, and it was introduced to France in the mid-18th century. After that, it began to spread throughout Europe and then to the United States. By the 1860s, variants of the game appeared in American literature.