tympanum
- noun
- /ˈtɪmpənəm/
- Specialized
:
tímpano
- In humans, the tympanum is crucial for transmitting sound from the outer ear to the inner ear.
Examples
-
Over forty years ago, Katzenellenbogen proposed that the tympanum at Vezelay, depicting the Mission of the Apostles, reflected the preaching of the crusades at that site.
Academic text (1991) -
Several nineteenth-century descriptions of the portal made before the beginning of the restoration at Ste-Marie indicate that these specific sculptures, the tympanum and spandrel sculptures, were in very good condition prior to restoration.
Academic text (2005) -
On either side of the deposition, smaller, undecorated slabs of stone fill the margins of the tympanum field in the irregular spaces created by the tympanum's subordinate arcades.
Academic text (2005) -
On either side of the deposition, smaller, undecorated slabs of stone fill the margins of the tympanum field in the irregular spaces created by the tympanum's subordinate arcades.
Academic text (2005) -
Many other sculptures in the portal apparently survived the Revolution and the restoration unscathed, including the large tympanum depicting the Deposition, which contains the two-sided Mary/Mars slab.
Academic text (2005) -
The tympanum, often referred to as the eardrum, vibrates in response to sound waves, allowing us to hear.
-
During the examination, the doctor noted that her tympanum was intact and functioning properly.
Synonyms
26
1.5
A thin skin inside the ear that vibrates when sound reaches it
4
3.5
A space filled with air behind the eardrum that contains three tiny bones that carry sound to the inner ear
1
5.9
A thin skin between the outer ear and the middle ear that vibrates when sound hits it
A space in the middle ear between the eardrum and inner ear that holds tiny bones for hearing
A thin skin inside the ear that vibrates when sound reaches it
Surface Forms
Etymology
Tympanum comes from the Greek word tympanon, which means 'drum'. The thin part of the ear works like a small drum that vibrates with sound, so tympanum names the eardrum area.