Percussion

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /pɚˈkʌʃən/

Definitions

1. The action of producing sound by hitting objects forms a fundamental rhythm in music
2. Creating sound in music by striking instruments ; the action of hitting one object against another ; a clinical method of tapping the body to assess underlying structures
3. The generation of tones through striking percussion instruments ; the physical act of impact or striking ; a diagnostic procedure involving rhythmic tapping on the body surface

Etymology: The word's core idea is simply "a striking," and it reaches English by way of Middle English and Old French from Latin "percussio," meaning "striking," which itself comes from "percutere," "to strike." The Latin verb is built from "per-" (through, thoroughly) and "quatere" (to shake or strike), so the sense of forceful, thorough hitting is already present in the root. For centuries the term kept that plain, physical meaning. In medicine, percussion came to name the practice of tapping a body part to judge what lies beneath by the sound produced, a method still used by doctors today. Musicians then adopted the word for the family of instruments played by being struck, such as drums, cymbals, xylophones and timpani, which is the sense you see in the orchestra section of a concert program.

Synonyms: beating, striking