percuss

verb

1. (transitive)To strike; to hit; to knock; to give a blow to.

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

   “Give me thy hand Gonzalo, thou art in our favour, / For we do love to cheriſh lofty ſpirits, / Such as percuſſe the Earth, and bound / With an erected countenance to the clouds.”

2. (intransitive)To impact.

   “Falling on the roof of the caravan, the hailstones percussed noisily.”

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

   “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.”

   “As you percuss the kidneys, check for pain or tenderness, behind other organs which suggests a kidney infection. Remember to percuss both sides of the body to assess both kidneys.”

   “PERCUSS the abdomen for tones. Percuss the abdomen when you suspect distention, fluid, or solid masses. Procedure: See Chapter 3 for the procedures for percussion. Percuss all quadrants for tones, using indirect percussion to assess density of abdominal contents (Fig. 13-11). Percuss in each quadrant for tympany and dullness. FIG. 13-11 Systematic Route for Abdominal Percussion.”