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

Besides pancakes, the fundraiser features music with band, orchestra, jazz, percussion, color guard, and choral performances by the students of Saratoga High School and Redwood Middle School. —Isha Trivedi, The Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2024

The percussion is the smacking lips of countless barbel, a type of catfish, in a feeding frenzy. —Alex Postman, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Apr. 2024

His strength may be classic reggaeton that channels the early 2000s with party-ready percussion and signature airhorns, but Castro isn’t scared to experiment with other genres. —Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 21 Mar. 2024

Guitars, vocals and percussion were updated with funky-fusion electric bass (played by the virtuosic Juanfe Pérez), but the thrust of Pericet’s experimentation was scenographic. —Brian Seibert, New York Times, 18 Mar. 2024

Black, Quan, Cranston, Awkwafina and Hong stood at the helm of the trolley’s roof and waved to the crowd as the dragon dancers led the way with a percussion ensemble accompanying them. —Jaden Thompson, Variety, 4 Mar. 2024

Barker offers up a stunning percussion session in one scene, while Idol, who also made appearances during the company’s Super Bowl efforts, snarls his way though another cameo. —Brian Steinberg, Variety, 8 Apr. 2024

There are whistles and toe taps and yowls and warbles and percussion produced by acrylic nails. —Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024

Gentle electrical currents, pulsing vibration, or percussion may improve blood flow and take some of the manual effort out of massage. —Isabella Ubaldi, Health, 20 Mar. 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