percuss

[ per-kuhs ]
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verb (used with object)
  1. Medicine/Medical. to strike or tap for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes.

  2. to strike (something) so as to shake or cause a shock to.

verb (used without object)
  1. Medicine/Medical. to strike the surface of a part of the body for diagnostic purposes.

Origin of percuss

1
1550–60; <Latin percussus, past participle of percutere to strike hard, beat, equivalent to per-per- + -cut(ere), combining form of quatere to shake (see quash) + -tus past participle suffix, with tt>ss

Other words from percuss

  • un·per·cussed, adjective

Words Nearby percuss

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How to use percuss in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for percuss

percuss

/ (pəˈkʌs) /


verb(tr)
  1. to strike sharply, rapidly, or suddenly

  2. med to tap on (a body surface) with the fingertips or a special hammer to aid diagnosis or for therapeutic purposes

Origin of percuss

1
C16: from Latin percutere, from per- through + quatere to shake

Derived forms of percuss

  • percussor, noun

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