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 night ended with singing from Lido Pimienta, accompanied by a ferocious percussion and some nifty use of a delay pedal which made her voice echo and twist around in the main hall. —Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 1 May 2026

So many of their masterpieces open with pitter-patter percussion or a kick drum. —New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026

The band is always looking for new wind instrument and percussion players. —Anne Gelhaus, Mercury News, 26 Apr. 2026

Born as a twin with Brandon Jackson, who died shortly after birth on March 12, 1957, Marlon was the second-youngest Jackson in the group, getting his start at age 7 playing percussion for his older brothers. —Nicole Briese, PEOPLE, 26 Apr. 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
• kushan
• 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