I had to look up the definition of the word Percussive. Merriam-Webster defines it as “of or relating to percussion, especially: operative or operating by striking” and as “having powerful impact.”

For me this is one of those definitions that requires me to look up words within the description in order to understand the entire meaning. [Side bar: this reminds me a little too much of law school.] In this definition, I had to look up the word percussion. And again the word is used in its own definition. Best I’ve been able to come close to is “percussing” that defines it to a level that I can understand: “to tap sharply.”

The Medical definition of Percussion is defined as “the act or technique of tapping the surface of a body part to learn the condition of the parts beneath by the resulting sound.”

Usage: I hate it when the doctor percusses my knee with the little hammer. The anxiety before hammer hits makes me kick before the doctor even gets close to me. I highly doubt the doctor ever gets accurate result from this percussive action.

Not sure if I used it correctly. However, if one of you wonderful readers would like to correct me and give me a real definition of the word, I’d be delighted. The nerd in me loves to learn.