Domino is an ancient game of skill that can be played on a table top. It involves laying tiles end to end and letting them fall to form a chain, with the exposed ends showing numbers. The player who has the most digits on the exposed ends wins the game. Many domino games replicate card games, scoring points for winning combinations and blocking opponents’ play. The simplest games are called “blocking,” including matador, chicken foot, Mexican train, and bergen, while others involve scoring chains of matching pieces such as tic-tac-toe or nines and eights. In some domino games, a player can score by touching one of his or her own exposed ends to the exposed end of an opponent’s tile.

In addition to traditional board games, domino can be used for creative purposes like making art and constructing 3D structures. Artists can create intricate curved lines, grids that form pictures, and even stacked walls with dominoes. Domino designers can also use a computer program to design their ultimate domino layouts and track how the pieces will fall.

When a domino is knocked over, it releases potential energy into kinetic energy that pushes the next domino. The process is repeated, with each domino transferring a small amount of energy to the next until they all topple. Physicists have demonstrated that a domino can push objects over one-and-a-half times its size.

Dominoes are sometimes used as metaphors in writing, particularly when a character’s actions have a domino effect on other characters. For example, a character’s death may lead to other characters changing their own behavior, and so on. The domino effect can also refer to a series of events in a story that build toward a dramatic conclusion.

For the restaurant chain, Domino’s, dominoes represent the way they are able to deliver pizza quickly and cheaply. They are a key part of their business strategy, and they work hard to make sure their drivers can get pizzas out quickly to customers. Domino’s also invests in technology and has a department focused on data analytics, helping them stay ahead of the competition in this area.

The word domino is derived from the Latin dominus, meaning “lord.” Domino’s was founded in 1984 by David Brandon and Paul Monaghan, who wanted to open a pizza restaurant that could deliver quickly. They opened the first store in Ypsilanti, Michigan and soon had several locations. Domino’s became a major company and has expanded globally. The company’s success can be attributed to its focus on customer satisfaction and innovation. It is well-known that Domino’s will deliver pizza to most homes within an hour of a call for delivery, and it offers several other services, including car washing and grocery delivery. Domino’s also offers a mobile app for ordering food and has partnered with Uber to offer deliveries in some markets. These partnerships show that the company is always looking for new ways to expand and innovate. Domino’s is a member of the National Retail Federation.