Domino (also dominoes, bones or men) are flat thumb-sized rectangular blocks with one side blank and the other bearing from one to six pips or dots. A set consists of 28 such tiles. Dominoes may be used to play a variety of games with either single or multiple players. Most games involve placing tiles so that the ends of adjacent tiles match, or in other words, forming lines and angular patterns. Other games involve matching or scoring points. The most common dominoes are the double six and double nine sets, but larger sets exist as well.

In a game of domino, each player chooses a domino from his or her boneyard. Then they place it on the table. The first player to complete the desired pattern wins. A domino is a member of two suits: the suit of its number and the suit of blanks, or zero. Each suit contains a specific value, and each tile has a different value. The suit of a particular domino is determined by the sum of its pips: a domino with more pips has higher rank and vice versa.

For example, if a player has all of the pips of a double-six domino in his or her possession, that domino is said to be “heavy.” The rank of each suit varies, with a double-six having a rank of eight and a double-nine having a rank of seven.

The term Domino, which came into use in the early 18th century, was originally a French word that referred to a long hooded cloak worn with a mask during carnival season or at a masquerade. It is also possible that the name was inspired by the hooded cape worn by a priest over his or her surplice.

As the domino grew in popularity, it began to be used as a fad toy among children. In the late 19th century, the toy was adapted to form a more complex game of skill and strategy. Dominoes were produced with a variety of images, and a large assortment of games were invented for them.

In the early 21st century, Domino’s Pizza saw an opportunity to update its image, and it recruited a high-profile personality, James Doyle, as CEO in 2004. His goal was to shake things up at Domino’s and to bring in new customers.

During his reign, Domino’s launched a series of innovative products, such as the DXP, a purpose-built pizza-delivery vehicle. Doyle was also involved in a series of Undercover Boss episodes, where he sent himself into various Domino’s restaurants to observe employees and how they interacted with their customers.

A domino action is a high-leverage action that can trigger a chain reaction that changes the course of an event. It is similar to a script in computer programming, where a single command triggers a series of other commands. A domino effect can have a powerful impact, but it is important to be aware of its potential drawbacks and consequences.