percussion
n. uncountablen. musical instruments that you play by hitting, shaking, or scraping them. This group includes things like drums, bells, and triangles.
n. musical instruments played by striking with a hand or beater, or by shaking, scraping, or clashing. Often used collectively to refer to the section of an orchestra or band containing these instruments.
The loud percussion makes the song very energetic.
The orchestra's percussion section includes a wide variety of instruments, from the timpani to the xylophone.
Contemporary composers often experiment with non-traditional percussion, using found objects to create unique rhythmic textures that challenge the listener's expectations of orchestral sound.
From Middle English percussioun, from Middle French, Old French percussion, from Latin percussiō (“striking”), from percutiō (“I strike”).
Typically used as an uncountable collective noun when referring to the instrument family, though 'percussions' may appear in technical acoustic contexts.