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

Discovery Center, an interactive drum and percussion museum run by the Percussive Arts Society, which is headquartered in Indianapolis. —Alysa Guffey, The Indianapolis Star, 2 July 2024

So that was echoed by the string section, by the horn section, by the percussion. —Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 June 2024

The new prosthetics have made a world of a difference for Aubrey, who took up drumming over the past school year after being influenced by her older sister, who plays percussion. —Ashley R. Williams, CNN, 23 June 2024

The uptempo snippet pairs racing percussion with edgy, slightly distorted synths, seemingly a portion of the 27-year-old musician’s next project. —Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 13 June 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