A domino is a small, flat rectangular block of rigid material such as wood or bone used as a gaming object. Typically, each domino has one side with an arrangement of spots or “pips” that corresponds to those on a die. The other side is blank or may have identical pips. The value of a domino, sometimes called its rank or weight, is determined by the number of matching pips on adjacent sides or ends.

Dominoes can be played in many formats, with blocking and scoring games being particularly popular. In blocking games, players attempt to empty their hands before their opponents do. In scoring games, the winner is the first player to reach a preset target such as a certain number of points or all the pips on a specific end. The simplest domino game is concentration, but there are also a wide variety of other games such as bergen, muggins, matador, Mexican train, and others that duplicate card games. Some of these games are also used to teach kids numbers and math skills.

The word domino is derived from the Latin dominus, meaning master. It originally referred to a type of monastic hood, but it later came to mean a hooded masquerade mask and eventually a general term for any kind of headdress.

When people use the phrase “domino effect,” they refer to a chain reaction in which each subsequent event causes the next in a predictable way. This effect can be positive or negative, depending on how things play out.

In business, the domino effect can occur when an innovative idea takes hold and spreads like wildfire. It can lead to increased revenue, improved customer service, and other gains for an organization.

Domino’s Pizza is a good example of how the domino effect can be positive when it comes to new ideas. When Domino’s introduced delivery, it allowed it to expand its market and open up a new audience. This innovation gave it a competitive advantage over other pizza restaurants that had not embraced delivery.

Another example of the domino effect is the success of a new drug treatment that has the potential to revolutionize the healthcare industry. This is because the drug can treat multiple diseases simultaneously and improve patient outcomes. It is the result of research done by a team of scientists led by Dr. Steven Shapiro.

Whether you’re writing an outline for your novel or just working on your next scene, the domino effect can help you make sure you have everything in place to create a compelling story. The key is to keep the pace moving forward so that your readers can’t put it down. If you have scenes that stall or are overly long, your readers will lose interest. Likewise, your scenes need to advance the plot and provide a clear goal for the hero to reach. Taking the time to consider how you can create these scenes in your work can make the difference between a successful story and one that flops.