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

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

While working on his electronic projects, which were sometimes scorned by skeptical jazz critics, he continued to perform on the standard acoustic piano, which he called “the most gorgeous and sophisticated percussion instrument ever conceived.”

From Washington Post • Feb. 11, 2021

As the strings play a genial, ambling theme, a percussion instrument mimics a clock’s ticktocks as the seconds pass.

From New York Times • Apr. 22, 2020

Playing a steady beat on the xylophone or other percussion instrument.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin