percussion. Name for family of instrs. (perhaps the most ancient in existence) which are usually played by striking a resonating surface with a stick or the hand, or by a pedal. The pf. may be used percussively (as in Orff, Stravinsky, Bartók, etc.) but is not classified as a perc. instr., nor is the celesta. The instr. are divided into those of definite pitch—kettledrum, tubular bells, glockenspiel, vibraphone, xylophone, marimba—and those of indefinite pitch—triangle, gong, castanets, whip, rattle, anvil, bass drum, ten. drum, side-drum, tabor, tambourine, bongo, and cymbals. Various unusual devices such as iron chains, motor horns, tin sheet, come into the perc. section of an orch.

per·cus·sion / pərˈkəshən/ • n. 1. musical instruments played by striking with the hand or with a hand-held or pedal-operated stick or beater, or by shaking, including drums, cymbals, xylophones, gongs, bells, and rattles: [as adj.] percussion instruments the percussion section. 2. the striking of one solid object with or against another with some degree of force: the clattering percussion of objects striking the walls and the shutters. ∎  Med. the action of tapping a part of the body as part of a diagnosis: the chest sounded dull on percussion.DERIVATIVES: per·cus·sion·ist / -ist/ n. (in sense 1)per·cus·sive / -ˈkəsiv/ adj.per·cus·sive·ly / -ˈkəsivlē/ adv.per·cus·sive·ness / -ˈkəsivnis/ n.

percussion Term for any of several musical instruments that produce sound when struck with a beater or the hand. They are divided into two groups: ideophones, in which the whole object vibrates when struck (such as cymbals and xylophones); and membranophones, in which a stretched skin or membrane vibrates a column of air (this group includes all drums).

percussion striking of one body by another. XVI. — (O)F. percussion or L. percussiō, -ōn-, f. pp. stem of percutere strike or thrust through, f. PER-1 + quatere shake, strike, dash.

percussion (per-kush-ŏn) n. the technique of examining part of the body by tapping it with the fingers or an instrument (plessor) and sensing the resultant vibrations. It is used to detect the presence of fluid or abnormal solidification or enlargement in different organs.