Percussion
[pə'kʌʃ(ə)n] or [pɚ'kʌʃən]
Definition
(noun.) the act of exploding a percussion cap.
(noun.) the act of playing a percussion instrument.
(noun.) tapping a part of the body for diagnostic purposes.
Checked by Beth--From WordNet
Definition
(n.) The act of percussing, or striking one body against another; forcible collision, esp. such as gives a sound or report.
(n.) Hence: The effect of violent collision; vibratory shock; impression of sound on the ear.
(n.) The act of tapping or striking the surface of the body in order to learn the condition of the parts beneath by the sound emitted or the sensation imparted to the fingers. Percussion is said to be immediate if the blow is directly upon the body; if some interventing substance, as a pleximeter, is, used, it is called mediate.
Inputed by Katherine
Synonyms and Synonymous
n. Collision, clash, shock, concussion.
Editor: Lora
Synonyms and Antonyms
SYN:Collision, shock, encounter, crash
ANT:Graze, touch, recoil, rebound, repercussion, reverberation
Edited by Daisy
Definition
n. the forcible striking of one body against another: collision or the shock produced by it: impression of sound on the ear: (med.) the tapping upon the body to find the condition of an internal organ by the sounds: in the jargon of palmistry the outer side of the hand.—adjs. Percuss′ional Percuss′ive.—ns. Percuss′ion-bull′et a bullet so formed as to explode on striking something: an explosive bullet; Percus′sion-cap a cap of copper partly filled with a substance which explodes when struck formerly used for firing rifles &c.; Percus′sion-fuse a fuse in a projectile set in action by concussion when the projectile strikes the object; Percus′sion-hamm′er a small hammer for percussion in diagnosis; Percus′sion-lock a kind of lock for a gun in which a hammer strikes upon a percussion-cap on the nipple igniting the charge; Percus′sion-pow′der powder which explodes on being struck called also fulminating powder.—adv. Percuss′ively.—ns. Percuss′or; Percuteur′ an instrument for light percussion in neuralgia &c.—adj. Percū′tient striking or having power to strike.—n. that which strikes or has power to strike.
Typist: Rowland
Examples
- The only important improvement made in it during that long term of service was the substitution of the percussion cap for the flint lock. Various. The Wonder Book of Knowledge.
- Mr. Forsyth, a Scotchman, who in 1803 invented the percussion principle in fire-arms. William Henry Doolittle. Inventions in the Century.
- In 1814 Joshua Shaw of England invented the percussion cap. William Henry Doolittle. Inventions in the Century.
- The introduction of the percussion cap, which exploded the charge by a blow, in the place of the old flint lock, was, however, a notable advance. Edward W. Byrn. The Progress of Invention in the Nineteenth Century.
- Joshua Shaw took a United States patent on a percussion gun, June 19, 1822, and the copper percussion cap was said to have been introduced in the United States by him in 1842. Edward W. Byrn. The Progress of Invention in the Nineteenth Century.
- The time fuses all contain a percussion element to insure their exploding on impact if not previously exploded. Various. The Wonder Book of Knowledge.
- Alexander John Forsyth, a Scotch clergyman, was the first to apply a percussion or detonating compound, as set forth in his British patent No. 3,032, of 1807. Edward W. Byrn. The Progress of Invention in the Nineteenth Century.
- If you were going to use powder, ball and percussion primer, to get your game, why not put them all into a neat, handy, gas-tight case? Various. The Wonder Book of Knowledge.
- The invention of percussion priming in 1800, by the Rev. Frederick C. Bakewell. Great Facts.
- It had fourteen chambers, and was a percussion gun, but was never patented. Edward W. Byrn. The Progress of Invention in the Nineteenth Century.
- Gun equipped with telescopic and night sights and with electric and percussion pull-off firing gear. Various. The Wonder Book of Knowledge.
- According to our author, The voice arises from flowing breath, ) sensible to the hearing through its percussion on the air. Walter Libby. An Introduction to the History of Science.
Edited by Gertrude