What does "percussor" mean?
A small hammer-like tool that a physician uses to provide a light blow to a body part.
Percussor
noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A small hammer-like tool that a physician uses to provide a light blow to a body part.
- Grammar: percussor is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: plexor, clinician, hammer, percussion hammer.
- Usage evidence: The shaft on which the percussor is fastened is so adjusted that the spring, while expending its force, throws the hammer a little beyond the line of centre, so that the blow is struck lightly and quickly, and the hammer rebounds very much as it strikes and rebounds from the string of a piano when a note is struck on the keyboard.
How to use "percussor"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "percussor" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "percussor" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "percussor" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "percussor" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "percussor" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "plexor" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "percussor", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A small hammer-like tool that a physician uses to provide a light blow to a body part.
"The shaft on which the percussor is fastened is so adjusted that the spring, while expending its force, throws the hammer a little beyond the line of centre, so that the blow is struck lightly and quickly, and the hammer rebounds very much as it strikes and rebounds from the string of a piano when a note is struck on the keyboard."
- 2 (medicine) a small hammer with a rubber head used in percussive examinations of the chest and in testing reflexes wordnet
- 3 A physician who provides light blow to a body part as a diagnostic technique.
"When he has reached this stage, the percussor is an expert, and his ability to produce deceptive effects is his best guarantee that he will not be himself deceived."
- 4 A hammerstone or similar tool used for smashing, or chipping.
"Bi-polar percussion involves the placement of the objective piece on an anvil stone and subsequently striking it with a percussor, as one would crack a nut."
- 5 A part of a device that is intended to impart a striking action.
"In a charge torpedo, a spring-pressed percussor recessed at one end, a guide tube in which said percussor works, a plummet adapted to lie in said recess and be held therein by the guide tube, a trigger adapted to engage said percussor and hold the same against the action of its spring, a pull cord secured to said plummet for shifting said percussor in the guide tube against the action of its spring, into position to be engaged by said trigger, ..."
Example
"The shaft on which the percussor is fastened is so adjusted that the spring, while expending its force, throws the hammer a little beyond the line of centre, so that the blow is struck lightly and quickly, and the hammer rebounds very much as it strikes and rebounds from the string of a piano when a note is struck on the keyboard."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "percussor"?
Common synonyms include: plexor, clinician, hammer, percussion hammer, physician, plessor.
How do you use "percussor" in a sentence?
The shaft on which the percussor is fastened is so adjusted that the spring, while expending its force, throws the hammer a little beyond the line of centre, so that the blow is struck lightly and quickly, and the hammer rebounds very much as it strikes and rebounds from the string of a piano when a note is struck on the keyboard.