tympanum

Noun

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

WordNet 3.0

Noun (3)

the main cavity of the ear; between the eardrum and the inner earSynonyms: middle ear tympanic cavity
the membrane in the ear that vibrates to soundSynonyms: eardrum tympanic membrane myringa
a large hemispherical brass or copper percussion instrument with a drumhead that can be tuned by adjusting the tension on itSynonyms: kettle kettledrum tympani timpani

Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

Tympanum \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. ty`mpanon, ty`panon, 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. [1913 Webster]

2.(Zool.) One of the naked, inflatable air sacs on the neck of the prairie chicken and other species of grouse. [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]