A domino is a small rectangular wood or polymer block that has one face that is blank or identically patterned, and the other that contains an arrangement of dots, called pips, that resemble those on dice. Dominoes are used for playing a variety of games. Most of these games are positional, in which a player places one domino edge to edge against another so that their adjacent faces form a specified total. In addition to positional games, the pieces can also be used for other purposes, such as determining who makes the first play in a game or who wins a hand.

There are many different rules and variations of play for a domino game, but all games fall into four broad categories: bidding, blocking, scoring, and round. Many domino sets are made from natural materials such as bone, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother of pearl), ivory or dark hardwoods such as ebony, with either black or white inlaid pips. There are also sets made from a variety of other materials including ceramic clay, marble, soapstone and granite. Such sets are generally more expensive than those made from polymer materials.

A basic domino set consists of 28 tiles, seven doubles (the same number on both ends from a double blank to a double six) and 21 singles (different numbers on both ends or a number and a blank). The tiles are shuffled and placed face down in a circle that is called the stock or boneyard. Each player draws a certain number of tiles from the stock, typically seven. The player who draws the heaviest domino begins play. If there is a tie, the winner of the last game played breaks the tie.

Several different methods are used to determine the order of play, but most of these methods involve counting the total number of pips in a player’s opponents’ unplayed dominoes at the end of a hand or the game. In this method, the losing players’ dominoes are counted and the winner is awarded a score equal to that of the lowest total number of pips.

In recent years, Dominos has focused on improving its customer service and increasing brand loyalty. They have also increased the use of technology to make it easier for customers to place their orders, such as using emojis and voice-controlled devices like Amazon Echo. The company also partners with sports leagues and music festivals to promote its brands.

The word domino derives from the Latin dominium, which means “to rule.” It was probably used in this sense as early as 1750. It may have been influenced by its earlier English meaning of a long hooded cloak worn with a mask at a carnival or masquerade. Alternatively, it may be derived from the French domino, which originally denoted a cape that a priest might wear over his surplice at Mass. Regardless of its origin, the name has become well established in western culture and is in wide usage.