percussion
noun
per·cus·sion
| \ pər-ˈkə-shən
\
\
Definition of percussion
1
: the act of percussing: such as
a
: the striking of a percussion cap so as to set off the charge in a firearm
b
: the beating or striking of a musical instrument
c
: the act or technique of tapping the surface of a body part to learn the condition of the parts beneath by the resultant sound
2
: the striking of sound on the ear
3
: percussion instruments that form a section of a band or orchestra
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Examples of percussion in a Sentence
He plays percussion for the band.
The marimba is a percussion instrument.
Recent Examples on the Web
The title track announces the new direction with clanging percussion, murky atmospherics and eerie vocal interplay. — Greg Kot, chicagotribune.com, "Review: Sleater-Kinney embraces new sound, uncertain future on ‘The Center Won’t Hold’," 14 Aug. 2019 The two married and built a school where students take private and group lessons in piano, voice, stringed instruments and percussion, among others. — Domenica Bongiovanni, Indianapolis Star, "A Fishers theater has been quietly hosting shows for years. Now it'll be something bigger.," 9 July 2019 Set to music by the Swiss percussion group Rhythm Talk, Mojalet Dance Collective premiered the dance in 2015 and it was presented when the company toured Switzerland. — Marcia Mannawriter, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Mojalet co-founder Faith Jensen-Ismay’s new fearless outlook is reflected in this year’s summer lineup," 4 July 2019 Her latest project is the Bay Area supergroup Skip the Needle, a funk metal collective featuring Shelley Doty and Katie Cash on guitars, Kofy Brown on drums, Randle on bass and percussion, and all four women on vocals. — Andrew Gilbert, SFChronicle.com, "Skip the Needle to brings its joyful funk metal to debut album release show," 24 June 2019 The percussion and groove-heavy music cuts and burns in a fashion that sounds perfectly wedded to the sentiment. — John Adamian, courant.com, "M.A.K.U. Soundsystem’s activist message at Real Art Ways," 14 June 2019 Originally recorded as a piano solo, Cowell will be joined by an ensemble of strings, vocals and percussion, giving new life to a work that highlights an underappreciated moment in our history. 8 p.m. $10-$25. — Washington Post, "16 things to do in the D.C. area this weekend," 13 June 2019 Scooters rip-roar through increasingly narrow streets, like its own percussion. — National Geographic, "Music in Morocco: The ultimate sonic journey," 23 July 2019 The tracks themselves are percussion-heavy, with plenty of ambient sounds meant to evoke the jungle; often, this doesn’t grate too intensely. — Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, "What’s Missing From Beyoncé’s Lion King Soundtrack," 19 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'percussion.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for percussion
percussion
noun
English Language Learners Definition of percussion
: musical instruments (such as drums, cymbals, or xylophones) that you play by hitting or shaking
See the full definition for percussion in the English Language Learners Dictionary
percussion
noun
per·cus·sion
| \ pər-ˈkə-shən
\
\
Kids Definition of percussion
: the musical instruments (as drums, cymbals, and maracas) that are played by striking or shaking
percussion
noun
per·cus·sion
| \ pər-ˈkəsh-ən
\
\
Medical Definition of percussion
1
: the act or technique of tapping the surface of a body part to learn the condition of the parts beneath by the resulting sound
2
: massage consisting of the striking of a body part with light rapid blows
— called also tapotement
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