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

The longest track on the album at more than eight minutes, it’s built around a relentless two-note bass line and dangerously cowbell-adjacent percussion and features a whirlwind of samples and sweetly noisy meltdowns. — Reed Jackson, SPIN, 19 Aug. 2026

The sound stage felt bludgeoned into submission throughout, as the intense distortion of bass, percussion and guitars made the instrument separation within the mix almost inaudible. — Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026

As a child, Moore envisioned a career in medicine and later attended Alcorn State University on a band scholarship to study percussion. — Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 2026

The Oyster will be further activated with a choral and percussion performance by Oneida and Ojibwe artist Danielle Jagelski over Indigenous Peoples Day weekend in October before it’s dismantled after November 30. — Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 30 July 2026

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

Rhymes for percussion

• concussion
• discussion
• belorussian
• repercussion
• byelorussian
• russian

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