percussion instrument

American  

noun

1. a musical instrument, as the drum, cymbal, triangle, xylophone, or piano, that is struck to produce a sound, as distinguished from string or wind instruments.

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percussion instrument British  

noun

1. any of various musical instruments that produce a sound when their resonating surfaces are struck directly, as with a stick or mallet, or by leverage action. They may be of definite pitch (as a kettledrum or xylophone), indefinite pitch (as a gong or rattle), or a mixture of both (as various drums)

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Etymology

Origin of percussion instrument

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

But for the last year, a vintage percussion instrument has occupied pride of place in the singer-songwriter’s forest green home studio.

From New York Times • Jun. 5, 2023

Performed to the beats of a traditional percussion instrument, Lavani's origin goes back centuries.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2023

They would weave through the cemetery with their marimbas — a percussion instrument with a warm sound, similar to a xylophone — between the elevated tombs, playing traditional Latin music.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 26, 2022

Lionel Frazier-White III’s “Wish You Knew the Sound” clusters objects related to Black music-making, including a washboard — used as a percussion instrument in folk music — and pages from a hymnal.

From Washington Post • Dec. 1, 2021

There was a leather pad called “the beat” that you’d strap to your palm, like a percussion instrument.

From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah