Domino Glossary
This domino glossary defines the terms you will hear at any table — from pip and boneyard to spinner and blocked game. Each entry is a plain-English, one- or two-sentence definition you can scan quickly. If you are just getting started, pair it with the how to play dominoes guide and the full domino rules reference.
Domino terms, A to Z
- Pip
- A single dot on a domino tile. The pips on each half of a tile give it its value; a 6-3 tile has nine pips total.
- Bone
- Another name for a single domino tile, from the material early tiles were made of. A full double-six set has 28 bones.
- Boneyard
- The pool of face-down tiles left over after dealing, also called the stock. Players draw from it in Draw and Fives-style games when they cannot play.
- Double
- A tile with the same number on both halves, such as 4-4. Doubles are usually placed crosswise to the line and count their full value when scored at an end.
- Spinner
- The first double played in many Fives-style games. It can be built off in more than two directions and its pips count toward scoring while it remains exposed.
- Open end
- An exposed number at the end of the layout that a new tile can connect to. Scoring in Fives-style games is based on the sum of all open ends.
- Set / Down
- The opening tile of a hand, the first bone laid on the table. To 'set' is to make that first play; the player who does it is sometimes said to be 'down'.
- Going out
- Playing your final tile so your hand is empty, which ends the hand. The player who goes out typically wins and collects the pips left in opponents' hands.
- Blocked game
- A hand in which no player can make a legal move and the boneyard is empty or unavailable. The hand ends and the player with the fewest remaining pips wins.
- Draw
- Both the act of taking a tile from the boneyard when you cannot play, and the name of the Draw game variant where drawing is required before passing.
- Pass
- Forfeiting your turn because you have no legal play. In Block dominoes you pass immediately; in Draw you may pass only after the boneyard is exhausted.
- Fives
- A scoring family of domino games where players earn points whenever the open ends add up to a multiple of 5. Big 6 Fives is a popular example.
- Big 6 Fives
- A Fives-style domino game in which you score the sum of the open ends whenever that sum is a multiple of 5, played to a target score with a spinner.
- Block dominoes
- A variant with no drawing: if you cannot play you simply pass. The hand is won by going out or, in a block, by holding the lightest hand.
- Train
- A continuous line of connected tiles branching from a starting point, most associated with games like Mexican Train but used generally for a chain of play.
- Heavy / Light tile
- A heavy tile has a high pip count (like 6-6); a light tile has a low one (like 0-1). Players try to shed heavy tiles early to avoid big end-of-hand penalties.
- Hand
- The tiles a player holds, hidden from others, and also the name for a single complete round of play from the first set to going out or a block.
- Target score
- The point total a player or team must reach to win a Fives-style game, commonly 150 or 250. The first to reach the target wins the game.
Keep learning
Now that the vocabulary makes sense, see how it all fits together in a real game. Learn how competitive ratings work, then put your knowledge to the test and watch your standing on the player rankings or browse the latest tournament results. More questions? Visit the FAQ.