The Domino Effect Was a Cold War Metaphor
A domino is a rectangular tile with dots. The word also names a theory about states falling one after another.
A domino is a small rectangular tile marked with dots. The phrase *domino effect* entered politics in 1954, when President Eisenhower compared the spread of communism to a row of falling dominoes. The metaphor shaped a decade of American foreign policy, and it survives in ordinary use for any chain of consequences.
- A dotted tile. *A set of dominoes.*
- The game. *A game of dominoes.*
- A hooded cloak or mask. *A black domino.*
- Domino effect — a chain reaction. *A domino effect across the sector.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | domino | A single domino. |
| Plural | dominoes | Falling dominoes. |
| Game | dominoes | Play dominoes. |
| Compound | domino effect | A domino effect. |
| Related | masquerade | A masquerade domino. |
How it is used in a sentence
- One failure set off a domino effect.Chain reaction.
- A double-six set has twenty-eight tiles.The standard set.
- A domino was once a masquerade cloak.The older meaning.
Domino facts
- Double-six set — twenty-eight tiles
- Double-nine set — fifty-five tiles
- Chinese origin — tiles are recorded in China well before Europe
- Toppling — a falling domino can knock over one about one and a half times larger
- Domino theory — the Cold War idea that one state falling would bring down its neighbours
From French *domino*, a hooded cloak worn by priests in winter, possibly from Latin *dominus*. The tiles may be named for their black and white appearance.
What was the domino theory?
The Cold War belief that if one country came under communist rule its neighbours would follow, like falling dominoes.
Can a domino knock over a bigger one?
Yes. A falling domino can topple one roughly one and a half times its own size, so a chain can escalate rapidly.