Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “domino” come from?

Domino comes from French domino, derived from Latin domino, the ablative form of dominus meaning "master," which derives from Latin domus meaning "house," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European dṓm and dem-.

domino (English): A tile divided into two squares, each having 0 to...

Definitions

  1. A tile divided into two squares, each having 0 to...

Ancestry of “domino”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchdominodominoes; a domino set; a domino tile
2Medieval Latindomino—
3LatinDominusthe Lord; Lord; The Lord
4Latindomushouse, home; any building or abode; native place,...
5Proto-Italicdomoshouse, home
6Proto-Indo-Europeandṓmhome; house
7Proto-Indo-Europeandem-to build; to arrange, to put together

Words derived from “domino”

  • dominos
  • dominolike
  • triomino
  • Dominoid
  • dominoes
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dem- →