percussion

noun

per·​cus·​sion pər-ˈkə-shən 

1

: the act of percussing: such as

a

: the striking of a percussion cap so as to set off the charge in a firearm

b

: the beating or striking of a musical instrument

c

: the act or technique of tapping the surface of a body part to learn the condition of the parts beneath by the resultant sound

2

: the striking of sound on the ear

3

: percussion instruments that form a section of a band or orchestra

percussion adjective

Examples of percussion in a Sentence

He plays percussion for the band.

The marimba is a percussion instrument.

Recent Examples on the Web

Everything else about the track sounds clean and present, including the percussion and Lamar and Rihanna's vocals. —PCMAG, 7 Nov. 2024

The massage device is built with a rotating percussion arm and ergonomic multigrip that delivers professional-grade muscle treatments to any achey spots. —Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 1 Nov. 2024

The show, presented by CMI Entertainment, is on Thursday, Dec. 12 at 7:30 p.m. Buckets N Boards: This upbeat comedy and unique percussion show combines inventive instruments, silly songs with a lot of personality and tap dancing, all performed by a world-touring pair of musicians. —Claudia Levens, Journal Sentinel, 31 Oct. 2024

Hyperice percussion guns and compression boots are also available upon request. —Tori Latham, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French percussioun, from Latin percussion-, percussio, from percutere to beat, from per- thoroughly + quatere to shake

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing percussion

• on percussion
• percussion cap
• percussion instrument
• percussion section

Kids Definition

percussion

noun

per·​cus·​sion pər-ˈkəsh-ən 

1

: the act of tapping sharply

especially : the striking of a percussion cap so as to set off the charge in a firearm

2

: the striking of sound sharply on the ear

Medical Definition

percussion

noun

per·​cus·​sion pər-ˈkəsh-ən 

1

: the act or technique of tapping the surface of a body part to learn the condition of the parts beneath by the resulting sound

2

: massage consisting of the striking of a body part with light rapid blows

called also tapotement