/peuhr kus"/ , v.t.
1. Med. to strike or tap for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes.
2. to strike (something) so as to shake or cause a shock to.
v.i.
3. Med. to strike the surface of a part of the body for diagnostic purposes.
[ 1550-60; percussus, ptp. of percutere to strike hard, beat, equiv. to per- PER- + -cut ( ere ), comb. form of quatere to shake (see QUASH) + - tus ptp. suffix, with tt > ss ]