Walk into any high-stakes craps pit in Vegas and you'll hear it. "Roll the bones!" It’s a bit of a cliché, honestly. But nobody is actually throwing skeletal remains onto the green felt. Most people just call them dice. However, if you’re deep into tabletop RPGs, gambling history, or manufacturing, you know that another name for dice depends entirely on who you’re talking to and what kind of game is on the line.
Dice are everywhere. They're in your Monopoly box and your digital crypto-wallets. Yet, the language we use to describe these little polyhedrons is surprisingly diverse.
The Most Common Alternative: Why We Say Bones
If you want the most historically accurate another name for dice, you have to look at "bones." This isn't just some cool slang invented for pirate movies. It’s literal history. Thousands of years ago, before resin and precision-machined acrylic existed, people used the talus—the ankle bone—of hooved animals like sheep or goats.
These bones, often called astragali, have four distinct sides. They don't roll as smoothly as a modern D6, but they get the job done. Archaeologists have dug these up in Egyptian tombs and Roman ruins. In those days, "rolling the bones" was a literal description of the action. Even today, older gamblers and street craps players use the term with a sort of gritty reverence. It sounds tougher than saying "toss the plastic cubes," right?
The Singular Struggle: Die vs. Dice
We should probably address the elephant in the room. Most people use "dice" as both the singular and plural. You’ll hear someone say, "Pick up that dice." Technically, if you're being a stickler for traditional English grammar, the singular is "die."
But language is messy.
Oxford and Merriam-Webster have both acknowledged that "dice" is now widely accepted as a singular noun in common usage. If you’re writing a formal rulebook for a board game, you’ll likely stick to "die" for one and "dice" for two. If you're just hanging out at a game night? Don't be that person who corrects everyone. It’s annoying.
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Shape-Based Names: From Cubes to Platonic Solids
In the world of professional gambling, "cubes" is the standard another name for dice. Specifically, "precision cubes." These aren't the rounded-corner things you find in a Yahtzee cup. Casino dice are machined to a tolerance of 1/10,000th of an inch. They have sharp edges to ensure a truly random tumble.
Then you have the nerds. And I say that with love, being one myself.
In the Dungeons & Dragons community, you rarely just say "dice." You use the "D" notation. A D6 is a six-sided die. A D20 is a twenty-sided die. But if you want to get fancy—and some players really do—you use the geometric names for the Platonic solids:
- Tetrahedron: That’s your D4. The literal caltrop of the gaming world that hurts like crazy if you step on it in the middle of the night.
- Hexahedron: The standard cube (D6).
- Octahedron: The D8, which looks like two pyramids glued together.
- Dodecahedron: The D12. Often the most neglected die in the bag, unless you're playing a Barbarian.
- Icosahedron: The mighty D20. The king of the tabletop.
Strange and Niche Synonyms
Depending on where you are in the world, or what specific subculture you’ve wandered into, you might encounter some truly weird terms.
In some circles, particularly in older British slang, you might hear them called "ivories." Similar to bones, this refers to the material—elephant ivory was once a premium choice for high-end gaming sets before the (very necessary) bans on the trade. It’s a term that carries a certain "old world" weight, though you don't hear it much in 2026 outside of vintage collectors.
Then there are "randomizers." This is the clinical, technical another name for dice used by game designers and mathematicians. When you're coding a video game, you aren't "rolling" anything. You're calling a Random Number Generator (RNG) function. To a programmer, a die is just a physical manifestation of a probability distribution. It sounds a bit soul-less, but it’s accurate.
The "Rocks" of the Tabletop
"Nice rocks."
If you hear this at a gaming table, they aren't talking about geology. It’s a common slang term for heavy, often metal or gemstone dice. With the rise of boutique manufacturers like Wyrmwood or Norse Foundry, dice have become jewelry. People spend hundreds of dollars on sets carved from obsidian, amethyst, or machined tungsten. When you throw a pound of tungsten across a wooden table, "rocks" feels like the only appropriate word.
The Darker Side: Misnomers and Loaded Terms
Not every another name for dice is friendly. If you’re in a shady back-alley game and someone mentions "flats," "tappers," or "bricks," you should probably leave.
- Flats: These are shaved dice, slightly shorter on one axis so they are more likely to land on specific numbers.
- Tappers: These have a hollowed-out center with a drop of mercury inside. A sharp tap shifts the weight, changing the center of gravity.
- Bricks: Dice that have been altered so they don't roll naturally—they just "thud" and land.
These aren't just synonyms; they are identifiers for "loaded" or "crooked" dice. In the world of "advantage play" (a polite way of saying cheating), knowing these names is a survival skill.
Cultural Variations Across the Globe
If you travel, the names shift again. In many parts of the world, the game defines the name of the object.
In the Middle East and parts of Europe, you’ll hear the word "Zar" or "Zahr." This is the Arabic word for dice, and it’s where we get the Spanish word azar (meaning chance or fate) and the English word "hazard." When someone says "the luck of the zar," they are tapping into a linguistic lineage that goes back to the very first organized gambling dens in history.
In China, dice are often called "shǎi zi." If you’ve ever played Liar’s Dice in a bar in Shanghai, you know the energy is completely different from a Vegas craps table. The terminology feels more integrated into the social ritual of drinking than the "business" of gambling.
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Why Does the Name Matter?
You might wonder why we have so many ways to say the same thing. It’s about identity.
Using the term "polyhedrals" marks you as a tabletop gamer. Calling them "the bones" marks you as a gambler or a historian. Referring to them as "RNG" marks you as a tech-head. Another name for dice acts as a linguistic handshake. It tells the person you're talking to exactly how much you know about the game.
Technical Limitations of the "Perfect" Roll
Even though we call them "precision cubes," perfection is impossible. This is a nuance most casual players miss. Every die has a bias. Air bubbles in the plastic, the weight of the paint in the pips (the dots), and even the friction of the surface they roll on all affect the outcome.
This is why serious backgammon players and casinos use "dice towers" or "baffles." It’s an attempt to force the "randomizer" to actually be random. No matter what name you use, you're dealing with the physics of chaos.
Actionable Insights for Dice Enthusiasts
If you’re looking to upgrade your gaming experience or just want to use the right lingo, here is how to apply this knowledge:
- Match the Room: Don't call them "polyhedral hexahedrons" at a craps table unless you want to be laughed out of the casino. Use "cubes" or "dice."
- Check for Balance: If you're using "rocks" (gemstone or metal dice), be aware they are often less balanced than high-quality resin. Use them for the aesthetic, but use translucent resin if you're obsessed with fair odds (since you can see the air bubbles).
- Know the Singular: Use "die" when writing or when you want to sound particularly precise, but don't sweat it in casual conversation.
- Detect the "Bricks": If you're playing for money and the dice look opaque or have "flat" finishes, be wary. Stick to translucent dice where you can see the internal structure to ensure nobody is playing with "tappers."
Dice are some of the oldest tools of human civilization. We've used them to predict the future, settle debts, and slay dragons. Whether you call them bones, cubes, rocks, or zar, you’re participating in a tradition of chance that spans millennia. Next time you reach into your velvet bag or step up to the felt, remember that the name you choose says as much about you as the number that lands face up.
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To ensure your dice stay in top shape, always store them in a soft-lined bag or case. Friction between "rocks" can lead to chipping, especially with softer materials like fluorite or glass. For precision cubes, keep them away from high heat, which can subtly warp the edges and ruin the "true" roll.