Domino is a small rectangular wooden or plastic block with one side bearing a number of dots similar to those on dice. Its other side is blank or marked with pips (small bumps) that indicate its value, and it is usually painted or carved with a picture or design. A domino may be used in any of a number of games in which the player aims to place dominoes on a line or square to form a pattern, and then to build a chain that will cover all the dominoes on the board.

A domino is a tile with an open end, used for the formation of a line of play in many domino games. A player places a domino on the line of play by matching its pips with those of the next tile played, or the open end of the last domino that was placed. This configuration is called a layout, string or line of play. The resulting line of play must be complete to continue the game, although it may be played in any direction.

Each player is given a set of dominoes for the game. These are often arranged in a box or case, and may be stored in a small table, like a coffee or dining table. A domino set can be made of a variety of materials, including bone, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother-of-pearl), ivory and dark hardwoods such as ebony, with white or black pips inlaid or painted on the surface. Historically, dominoes have also been produced from natural stones (e.g. marble and soapstone); metals such as brass or pewter; ceramic clay; or glass, which can provide a more novel look.

The earliest records of dominoes date from the mid-18th century, and they were introduced into England by French prisoners toward the end of that period. Today, dominoes are available in a wide variety of styles and prices, from basic sets to those designed for the serious collector.

For players who prefer to use a pencil or pen instead of playing with a domino set, they can draw an outline on a piece of paper and fill in the numbers that represent each domino. This can help the players keep track of what is in each domino, which helps when it comes time to play the pieces in the correct order.

Using a domino diagram can also help writers who prefer to use the writing process known as “pantsing.” That is, the authors do not create detailed outlines of their plot ahead of time, but rather rely on scenes in the middle and at the end of each chapter to naturally influence the scene ahead of it. However, if the dominoes that are played are at the wrong angle or don’t make enough of an impact on the next scene, the story can fall flat.

A domino compiler is a computer program that goes from packet transactions to atomic configurations of a switch’s atoms, and rejects programs that are too complex for the switch pipeline to support. This is especially necessary for programs that rely on the atomic incrementing of counters, as this is not supported by any hardware today.