Per-cùs'sion, n.
(-kŭsh'un), n. [Lat. percussio, Fr. percussion, Pr. percussio, percutio, Sp. percussion, It. percussione. See supra.]
Sense 1. The act of percussing, or of striking one body against another; the bringing or coming of two bodies violently together; forcible collision, especially such as gives a sound or report.
Sense 2. Hence, the effect of violent collision; vibratory shock; impression of sound on the ear.
Sense 3. (Med.) The act of determining the condition of an internal organ by the sound given when the external surface is gently knocked upon.
Center of percussion. See CENTER.—Percussion-bullet, a bullet made by placing a small quantity of percussion powder in a copper envelope in the point of an ordinary rifled-musket bullet. —Percussion-cap, a small copper cap or cup, containing fulminating powder, and used in a percussion-lock to explode gunpowder. —Percussion-lock, a lock of a gun in which gunpowder is exploded by fire obtained from the percussion of fulminating powder. —Percussion-match, a match which ignites by percussion. —Percussion-powder, powder composed of such materials as to ignite by slight percussion; fulminating powder.
