percussion
UK[pəˈkʌʃn]US[pərˈkʌʃn]
n
The musical instruments in an orchestra that you play by hitting them with your hand or with a stick, for example drums, or the section of an orchestra that plays these instruments.
n
The sound, vibration, or shock caused by one object hitting another.
Morpheme Breakdown
per
cuss
ion
per
through
cuss
to strike
ion
noun suffix
Etymology
The word 'percussion' originates from the Latin verb percutere, meaning "to strike through" or "to beat thoroughly". This verb itself is a compound of the prefix per- ("through") and quatere ("to shake, strike"). The noun form percussio entered Middle English via Old French, carrying the sense of a violent striking or impact. Over time, its application narrowed and specialized, particularly in music, to denote the family of instruments played by being struck, and in medicine, to describe a diagnostic technique involving tapping. The core semantic link from the ancient act of striking through to the modern concepts of impact and resonant sound remains logically intact.
Analysis
Structure: per (through) + cuss (to strike) + ion (noun suffix)
- per: Latin origin, a prefix meaning "through, thoroughly, completely".
- cuss: A direct substring from the spelling, derived from the Latin root quatere (to shake, strike) via its past participle stem -cuss-.
- ion: Latin suffix, used to form nouns indicating an action or process, or its result.
Examples
He plays percussion in the school band.
The doctor performed percussion on the patient's chest.
The percussion of the hailstorm on the metal roof was deafening.