Adjacent Words

Percussion definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PERCUS'SION, n. [L.percussio.] The act of striking one body against another, with some violence; as the vibrations excited in the air by percussion.
1. The impression one body makes on another by falling on it or striking it.
2. The impression or effect of sound on the ear.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: the act of playing a percussion instrument
2: the act of exploding a percussion cap
3: the section of a band or orchestra that plays percussion instruments [syn: percussion section, percussion, rhythm section]
4: tapping a part of the body for diagnostic purposes [syn: percussion, pleximetry]

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French percussioun, from Latin percussion-, percussio, from percutere to beat, from per- thoroughly + quatere to shake Date: 15th century 1. the act of percussing: 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

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 Mus. a (often attrib.) the playing of music by striking instruments with sticks etc. (a percussion band). b the section of such instruments in an orchestra (asked the percussion to stay behind). 2 Med. the act or an instance of percussing. 3 the forcible striking of one esp. solid body against another. Phrases and idioms: percussion cap a small amount of explosive powder contained in metal or paper and exploded by striking, used esp. in toy guns and formerly in some firearms. Derivatives: percussionist n. percussive adj. percussively adv. percussiveness n. Etymology: F percussion or L percussio (as PERCUSS)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Percussion Per*cus"sion, n. [L. percussio: cf. F. percussion. See Percuss.] 1. The act of percussing, or striking one body against another; forcible collision, esp. such as gives a sound or report. --Sir I. Newton. 2. Hence: The effect of violent collision; vibratory shock; impression of sound on the ear. The thunderlike percussion of thy sounds. --Shak. 3. (Med.) The act of tapping or striking the surface of the body in order to learn the condition of the parts beneath by the sound emitted or the sensation imparted to the fingers. Percussion is said to be immediate if the blow is directly upon the body; if some interventing substance, as a pleximeter, is, used, it is called mediate. Center of percussion. See under Center. Percussion bullet, a bullet containing a substance which is exploded by percussion; an explosive bullet. Percussion cap, a small copper cap or cup, containing fulminating powder, and used with a percussion lock to explode gunpowder. Percussion fuze. See under Fuze. Percussion lock, the lock of a gun that is fired by percussion upon fulminating powder. Percussion match, a match which ignites by percussion. Percussion powder, powder so composed as to ignite by slight percussion; fulminating powder. Percussion sieve, Percussion table, a machine for sorting ores by agitation in running water.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

Percussion instruments are musical instruments that you hit, such as drums. N-UNCOUNT: oft N n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Collision, clash, shock, concussion, encounter, crash. 2. Vibratory shock.

Moby Thesaurus

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