Definitions for: Tympanum


[n] a large hemispherical brass or copper percussion instrument with a drumhead that can be tuned by adjusting the tension on it
[n] the membrane in the ear that vibrates to sound
[n] the main cavity of the ear; between the eardrum and the inner ear



Webster (1913) Definition: Tym"pa*num, n.; pl. E. Tympanums, L. Tympana.
[L., a kettledrum, a drum or wheel in machines, the
triangular area in a pediment, the panel of a door, Gr. ?, ?,
fr. ? to strike, beat. See Type, and cf. Timbrel.]
1. (Anat.)
(a) The ear drum, or middle ear. Sometimes applied
incorrectly to the tympanic membrane. See Ear.
(b) A chamber in the anterior part of the syrinx of birds.

2. (Zo["o]l.) One of the naked, inflatable air sacs on the
neck of the prairie chicken and other species of grouse.

3. (Arch.)
(a) The recessed face of a pediment within the frame made
by the upper and lower cornices, being usually a
triangular space or table.
(b) The space within an arch, and above a lintel or a
subordinate arch, spanning the opening below the arch.

4. (Mech.) A drum-shaped wheel with spirally curved
partitions by which water is raised to the axis when the
wheel revolves with the lower part of the circumference
submerged, -- used for raising water, as for irrigation.

Synonyms: eardrum, kettle, kettledrum, middle ear, myringa, timpani, tympani, tympanic cavity, tympanic membrane

See Also: anvil, auditory apparatus, auditory tube, bodily cavity, bonelet, cavity, cavum, ear, Eustachian tube, hammer, incus, malleus, membrane, ossicle, ossiculum, percussion instrument, percussive instrument, perforated eardrum, stapes, stirrup, tissue layer, umbo

Try our:
Scrabble Word Finder

Scrabble Cheat

Words With Friends Cheat

Hanging With Friends Cheat

Scramble With Friends Cheat

Ruzzle Cheat



Related Resources:
animals beginning with j
animal facts