succuss: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2/Extremely RareTechnical/Medical
Quick answer
What does “succuss” mean?
to shake something vigorously.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
to shake something vigorously; especially in a medical context, to shake a patient or a preparation in diagnosis or treatment.
In a figurative sense, to agitate or disturb profoundly; to subject to a forceful shaking, either physical or metaphorical.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant usage difference. The word is uniformly technical and rare in both varieties.
Connotations
Clinical, diagnostic, procedural. In homeopathy, it has a specific procedural connotation.
Frequency
Virtually non-existent in everyday language. Used almost exclusively by medical professionals or in homeopathic practice.
Grammar
How to Use “succuss” in a Sentence
transitive: succuss + direct object (e.g., succuss the patient)transitive: be succussed (passive)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “succuss” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The physician will succuss the abdomen to check for a hydropneumothorax.
- The homeopath succussed the vial ten times before administering the dose.
American English
- After the lavage, the stomach was succussed to confirm clearance.
- The protocol requires you to succuss the solution vigorously between dilutions.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Used in medical and clinical research papers, specifically in descriptions of physical examination techniques (e.g., 'The abdomen was succussed to elicit a splash').
Everyday
Extremely unlikely to be used or encountered.
Technical
Primary context: 1) Medicine: Diagnostic maneuver for detecting fluid and air in a body cavity. 2) Homeopathy: The process of forcefully striking a diluted remedy against a firm surface as part of potentization.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “succuss”
- Misspelling as 'succeed', 'succumb', or 'sucuss'.
- Using it as a general synonym for 'shake' outside its narrow technical context.
- Incorrect pronunciation stressing the first syllable (/ˈsʌkəs/).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is an extremely rare, technical term used almost exclusively in medical diagnostics and homeopathy.
'Succuss' implies a specific, purposeful, often diagnostic shaking, typically in a medical context. 'Shake' is the general term.
Rarely, but it is possible in very formal or literary contexts to mean 'to agitate profoundly', e.g., 'The news succussed the entire community.' This is highly uncommon.
It is primarily a transitive verb. The related noun is 'succussion'.
to shake something vigorously.
Succuss is usually technical/medical in register.
Succuss: in British English it is pronounced /səˈkʌs/, and in American English it is pronounced /səˈkʌs/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “succussion splash (n.): a splashing sound heard in the stomach of a patient with excessive fluid and gas when shaken.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'SUCCessfully getting to the cause by giving a patient a SUSS (slang for check-up) with a good SHAKE.' Succuss = Suc(ceed) + cuss (as in discuss - a procedure).
Conceptual Metaphor
DIAGNOSIS IS INTERROGATION (shaking the body to make it reveal its secrets).
Practice
Quiz
In which field is the term 'succuss' most precisely and commonly used?