domino

noun

1. 1

   A tile divided into two squares, each having 0 to 6 (or sometimes more) dots or pips (as in dice), used in the game of dominoes.

   Dominoes of indiscretions down Falling all around, in cycles, in circles Constantly consuming Conquer and devour

   If a domino had four squares on its surface, it would be a tetromino. With five squares, it would be a pentomino—nine, a nonomino, eleven, an unwieldy undecomino!

   The Mormon church's past anti-gay positions and its role in financing Proposition 8 – California's 2008 ban on same-sex marriage – may have been the first dominoes to fall around the faithful, but vetting Mitt Romney as a presidential candidate links the straightforward similarities between Mormonophobia and homophobia.

2. 2

   A country that is expected to react to events in a neighboring country, according to the domino effect.

3. 3

   A masquerade costume consisting of a hooded robe and a mask covering the upper part of the face.

   all the women were desirous of having the bundle immediately opened; which operation was at length performed by little Betsy, with the consent of Mr Jones: and the contents were found to be a domino, a mask, and a masquerade ticket.

   The chair being announced, she fastened on her mask, and drew her domino round her, it not being her intention to display her splendid and fantastic costume till supper, when all the guests were expected to unmask.

   For this scene, a large number of supers are engaged, and in order to further swell the crowd, practically all the available stage hands have to ‘walk on’ dressed in various coloured dominoes, and all wearing masks.

   Then he hunted for the black carnival domino, supposing that it was the appropriate thing for a penitent to wear.

4. 4

   The mask itself.

   The door behind the drums burst open and two huge negroes, naked except for gold loincloths, ran out on to the floor carrying between them, her arms round their necks, a tiny figure, swathed completely in black ostrich feathers, a black domino across her eyes.

   He wore a domino, but beneath it could be seen his whiskers, cut after the English fashion, and long and pendent.

5. 5

   The person wearing the costume.

6. 6

   A polyomino made up of two squares.

7. 7

   A mistake in performing.

   Any player is liable to make a 'domino' — that is to say, he goes wool-gathering and continues to play when everyone else has stopped. If he does so at a grown-up concert the fault is irredeemable […]

8. 8

   slangA person's teeth.

   […] break your dominoes by grinding them that way.

   Look here, you chaps, don't you chew it too quick, or you'll break your dominoes on the nails!

verb

1. 1

   To collapse in the manner of dominoes.

   A dismasting often means the dominoing of one mast into the other, down through the decks, cannoning the cargo through the hull below, and sinking the ship very quickly.

2. 2

   To cause to collapse in the manner of dominoes.

Forms

plural

dominos, dominoes

past tense

dominoed

past participle

dominoed

present participle

dominoing

third person singular

dominoes