Standard Lemma guide

percuss

verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /pəˈkʌs/
  • Received-Pronunciation: [pəˈkhʌs]
  • General-American: /pɚˈkʌs/
  • General-American: [pɚˈkhʌs]
  • rhymes with -ʌs

1

verb

Meaning 1

To strike; to hit; to knock; to give a blow to.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • Solid bodies, if they be very softly percussed, give no sound.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To impact.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • Falling on the roof of the caravan, the hailstones percussed noisily.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To attempt to pinpoint the location or other quality of something by tapping on an overlying surface.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: medicine, sciences

Examples

  • The doctor percussed his chest to determine whether he had pneumonia.
  • Percussing a patient's spleen is best done while he is on his back.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

strike or tap firmly

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the doctor percussed his chest and back

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: tap, tip

History

Etymology

From Latin percussus, past participle of percutiō (“to strike, to beat”), from per (“through”) + quatiō (“to shake, to strike”).

Across languages

Translations

3 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 叩診 /叩诊 (kòuzhěn) — to attempt to pinpoint the location or other quality of something by tapping on an overlying surface
  • Chinese Mandarin: 打診 /打诊 (dǎzhěn) — to attempt to pinpoint the location or other quality of something by tapping on an overlying surface
  • Chinese Mandarin: 叩擊 /叩击 (kòujī) — to attempt to pinpoint the location or other quality of something by tapping on an overlying surface