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per capita
per contra
per curiam
per diem
per mill
per procurationem
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per stirpes
per-unit tax
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percussion

per·cus·sion [ pər kúsh'n ]


noun 
Definition:
 
1. musical instruments that are hit: the group of musical instruments that produce sound by being struck, including drums and cymbals, or the section of the orchestra playing such instruments

2. act of detonating percussion cap: the striking or detonating of a percussion cap in a firearm

3. impact: the impact of one object striking another, or the noise or shock created when two objects hit each other ( formal )

4. medicine tapping of body: examination of part of a patient's body by tapping with the fingers to assess the presence of fluid, the enlargement of organs, or the solidification of normally hollow parts

[Mid-16th century. < Latin percussion-< percuss- (see percuss)]
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