PERCUSSION

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does percussion mean? 

• PERCUSSION (noun)
  The noun PERCUSSION has 4 senses:

1. the act of playing a percussion instrument

2. the act of exploding a percussion cap

3. the section of a band or orchestra that plays percussion instruments

4. tapping a part of the body for diagnostic purposes

  Familiarity information: PERCUSSION used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PERCUSSION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The act of playing a percussion instrument

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("percussion" is a kind of...):

music (musical activity (singing or whistling etc.))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "percussion"):

drumming (the act of playing drums)

Derivation:

percussionist (a musician who plays percussion instruments)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The act of exploding a percussion cap

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("percussion" is a kind of...):

detonation (the act of detonating an explosive)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The section of a band or orchestra that plays percussion instruments

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Synonyms:

percussion; percussion section; rhythm section

Hypernyms ("percussion" is a kind of...):

section (a division of an orchestra containing all instruments of the same class)

Derivation:

percussionist (a musician who plays percussion instruments)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Tapping a part of the body for diagnostic purposes

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

percussion; pleximetry

Hypernyms ("percussion" is a kind of...):

auscultation (listening to sounds within the body (usually with a stethoscope))

Derivation:

percuss (strike or tap firmly)

 Context examples 

A systemic evaluation of the body and its functions using visual inspection, palpation, percussion and auscultation.

(Physical examination, NCI Thesaurus)

Heyer randomly assigned different musical instruments to different gases, forming a combination consisting of a saxophone, a piano, an upright bass and some percussion woodblocks.

(Does Our Galaxy Sound Like Funky Blues Music?, George Putic/VOA)