percussion

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: per=cus=sion

CIDE DICTIONARY

percussion, n. [L. percussio: cf. F. percussion. See Percuss.].

•  The act of percussing, or striking one body against another; forcible collision, esp. such as gives a sound or report.  Sir I. Newton.  [1913 Webster]
•  Hence: The effect of violent collision; vibratory shock; impression of sound on the ear.  [1913 Webster]

  "The thunderlike percussion of thy sounds."  [1913 Webster]
•  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.  [1913 Webster]

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.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

percussion, 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.

Idiom

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.

Derivative

percussionist n. percussive adj. percussively adv. percussiveness n.

Etymology

F percussion or L percussio (as PERCUSS)

THESAURUS

percussion

appulse, battery, bells, bones, brunt, bulldozing, bulling, bump, cannon, carambole, carom, castanets, celesta, chime, chimes, clappers, clash, collision, concussion, crack-up, crash, crash cymbal, crump, crunch, cymbals, encounter, finger cymbals, gamelan, glockenspiel, gong, hammering, handbells, idiophone, impact, impingement, jar, jolt, lyra, maraca, marimba, mauling, meeting, metallophone, onslaught, orchestral bells, percussion instrument, percussions, percussive, ramming, rattle, rattlebones, repercussion, shock, sideswipe, sizzler, sledgehammering, smash, smash-up, smashing, snappers, tam-tam, thrusting, tintinnabula, tonitruone, triangle, tubular bells, vibes, vibraphone, whomp, xylophone

ROGET THESAURUS

percussion

Impulse

N impulse, sudden thought, impromptu, improvisation, inspiration, flash, spurt, improvisatore, creature of impulse, extemporaneous, impulsive, indeliberate, snap, improvised, improvisate, improvisatory, unpremeditated, unmeditated, improvise, unprompted, unguided, natural, unguarded, spontaneous, instinctive, extempore, extemporaneously, offhand, impromptu, a limproviste, improviso, on the spur of the moment, on the spur of the occasion, impulse, impulsion, impetus, momentum, push, pulsion, thrust, shove, jog, jolt, brunt, booming, boost, throw, explosion, propulsion, percussion, concussion, collision, occursion, clash, encounter, cannon, carambole, appulse, shock, crash, bump, impact, elan, charge, beating, blow, dint, stroke, knock, tap, rap, slap, smack, pat, dab, fillip, slam, bang, hit, whack, thwack, cuff, squash, dowse, swap, whap, punch, thump, pelt, kick, punce, calcitration, ruade, arietation, cut, thrust, lunge, yerk, carom, carrom, clip, jab, plug, sidewinder, sidewipe, sideswipe, hammer, sledge hammer, mall, maul, mallet, flail, ram, rammer, battering ram, monkey, pile-driving engine, punch, bat, cant hook, cudgel, ax, dynamics, seismometer, accelerometer, earthquake detector, impelling, impulsive, impellent, booming, dynamic, dynamical, impelled, a hit, a very palpable hit.