PERCUSSION refers to musical instruments that produce sound by being struck, shaken, or scraped, or the medical technique of tapping body surfaces to assess underlying structures.
Yes. PERCUSSION is in the Scrabble-style word list used by our tools and scores 14 points in Scrabble, 18 in Words With Friends and 17 in Wordfeud (base tile values, no board multipliers). Always check the dictionary your game uses (NWL, Collins or the WWF list) before playing.
| Letter | P | E | R | C | U | S | S | I | O | N | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scrabble | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 14 |
| Words With Friends | 4 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 18 |
| Wordfeud | 4 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 17 |
PERCUSSION has two primary meanings: 1. Musical Context: Percussion refers to a family of musical instruments that produce sound primarily by being struck, shaken, or scraped. This includes drums, cymbals, xylophones, tambourines, and many other instruments. Percussion instruments are classified as either pitched (producing definite notes) or unpitched (producing indefinite pitch). 2. Medical Context: In medicine, percussion is a diagnostic technique where a healthcare provider taps on body surfaces to assess the condition of underlying organs and tissues. Different sounds (resonant, dull, tympanic) indicate different conditions. Types of percussion instruments: Membranophones: Drums with stretched membranes (timpani, snare drum) Idiophones: Self-sounding instruments (cymbals, xylophone, bells) Pitched percussion: Produces specific notes (marimba, vibraphone) Unpitched percussion: Produces indefinite pitch (bass drum, tambourine)
The word percussion derives from Latin percussio, from percutere meaning "to strike through" - composed of per- (through) + quatere (to shake, strike). It entered English in the 1540s initially in the medical sense. The musical sense developed later, around 1776, as the classification of musical instruments became more systematic. The term perfectly captures the essence of these instruments - sound produced through striking. The medical use predates the musical use, reflecting the long history of percussion as a diagnostic tool dating back to ancient times.
Anagrams: SUPERSONIC
Hooks: no front hooks; back PERCUSSIONS.
Words inside PERCUSSION: 665 shorter words can be made from these letters – highest scoring: SUPERSONICCONSPIRESINCORPSESCONSPIRECORPUSESCRISPENSINCORPSEPOUNCERSPRECIOUSPRINCESSSPECIOUSCOINSURES. See all words from PERCUSSION.