percussion

American  

[per-kuhsh-uhn] / pərˈkʌʃ ən /

noun

1. the striking of one body against another with some sharpness; impact; blow.

2. Medicine/Medical. the striking or tapping of the surface of a part of the body for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes.

3. the striking of a musical instrument to produce tones.

4. Music.

   1. the section of an orchestra or band comprising the percussion instruments.

   2. the percussion instruments themselves.

5. a sharp blow for detonating a percussion cap or the fuze of an artillery shell.

6. the striking of sound on the ear.

7. the act of percussing.

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percussion British  

/ pəˈkʌʃən /

noun

1. the act, an instance, or an effect of percussing

2. music the family of instruments in which sound arises from the striking of materials with sticks, hammers, or the hands

3. music

   1. instruments of this family constituting a section of an orchestra, band, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      a percussion ensemble

4. med the act of percussing a body surface

5. the act of exploding a percussion cap

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percussion Cultural  

1. A family of musical instruments played by striking their surfaces. Percussion instruments are used to accentuate and dramatize certain notes or rhythms and include instruments such as cymbals, drums, triangles, and xylophones. (See kettledrum, snare drum, and orchestra.)

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Other Word Forms

• percussional adjective

Etymology

Origin of percussion

1535–45; < Latin percussiōn- (stem of percussiō ) a beating. See percuss, -ion

Example Sentences

He added that he has often been offended by "people who have cliches about African music, who expect Africa to produce a certain type of sound" via instruments such as the kora or percussion.

From Barron's • Feb. 23, 2026

The five-part, 25-minute symphonic poem for a large orchestra rife with percussion follows Humboldt’s account of his journey to Venezuela in 1799.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026

Sandy percussion accompanies a journey up the Orinoco River.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026

And Mr. Smith, who also uses electronics, employed a trap set, vibraphone, and much of a symphony orchestra’s percussion section.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 27, 2026

If you can, listen to a percussion player or section that is using snare drums, cymbals, or other percussion of the same type but different sizes.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones