What does "domino" mean?
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.
Domino
/ˈdɒmɪnəʊ/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: 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.
- Grammar: domino is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: camouflage, cape, cascade, chain reaction.
- Useful contrasts: damping effect, stability.
- Usage evidence: Sami's decision has had a domino effect in his life.
How to use "domino"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "domino" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "domino" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "domino" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "domino" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "domino" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "camouflage" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "domino", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 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"
- 2 a small rectangular block used in playing the game of dominoes; the face of each block has two equal areas that can bear 0 to 6 dots wordnet
- 3 A country that is expected to react to events in a neighboring country, according to the domino effect.
- 4 a mask covering the upper part of the face but with holes for the eyes wordnet
- 5 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."
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 a loose hooded cloak worn with a half mask as part of a masquerade costume wordnet
- 7 The mask itself.
"He wore a domino, but beneath it could be seen his whiskers, cut after the English fashion, and long and pendent."
- 8 The person wearing the costume.
- 9 A polyomino made up of two squares.
- 10 A mistake in performing. colloquial
"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 […]"
- 11 A person's teeth. in-plural, slang
"[…] break your dominoes by grinding them that way."
Verb
- 1 To collapse in the manner of dominoes. intransitive
"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 To cause to collapse in the manner of dominoes. transitive
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
damping effectstability
Example
"Sami's decision has had a domino effect in his life."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "domino"?
Common synonyms include: camouflage, cape, cascade, chain reaction, disguise, domino tile.
How do you use "domino" in a sentence?
Sami's decision has had a domino effect in his life.
How do you pronounce "domino"?
Pronounced /ˈdɒmɪnəʊ/.
Etymology
1801, borrowed from French domino (1771), originally the term for a hooded garment, itself from Medieval Latin domino, oblique case of dominus (“lord, master”); compare Medieval Latin dominicale (“a kind of veil”). By surface analysis, di- + -omino.