tympanum

/ˈtɪmpənəm/

Other forms: tympana; tympanums

A tympanum is the ear cavity or eardrum of certain animals. You can also refer to your eardrum as a tympanum — or to be really fancy you can call it a tympanic membrane.

It's more common to use tympanum to talk about an insect's or amphibian's ear rather than to use the word to refer to a human eardrum. In ancient Greece and Rome, a tympanum was a small, hand-held drum, similar to a tambourine. The Greek version of the word was tympanon, from the root typtein, "to beat or strike."

Definitions of tympanum

1. noun

   the main cavity of the ear; between the eardrum and the inner ear
   synonyms: middle ear, tympanic cavity

   type of:

   bodily cavity, cavity, cavum

   (anatomy) a natural hollow or sinus within the body
2. noun

   the membrane in the ear that vibrates to sound
   synonyms: eardrum, myringa, tympanic membrane

   types:

   perforated eardrum

   an eardrum with a hole or tear in it; can interfere with normal hearing and cause other ear problems

   type of:

   membrane, tissue layer

   a pliable sheet of tissue that covers or lines or connects the organs or cells of animals or plants
3. noun

   a large hemispherical brass or copper percussion instrument with a drumhead that can be tuned by adjusting the tension on it
   synonyms: kettle, kettledrum, timpani, tympani

   type of:

   percussion instrument, percussive instrument

   a musical instrument in which the sound is produced by one object striking another