tympanic

adjective

tym·​pan·​ic tim-ˈpa-nik How to pronounce tympanic (audio)
: of, relating to, or being a tympanum

Examples of tympanic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web And from its titanic, tympanic entrance onward, the mounting and ultimately triumphant energy of the final movement had audience members bouncing their legs and bobbing their heads. Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 26 Jan. 2024 What to Look For in a Thermometer Types There are different types of thermometers that target different areas of the body to get your temperature readings, such as oral, tympanic, temporal, and rectal areas. Kayla Hui, Mph, Verywell Health, 21 Aug. 2023 Per the authors, their late Neolithic ear surgeon would have followed a similar (albeit much cruder) procedure, removing the affected bone to drain the middle ear and then connecting the mastoid bone with the tympanic cavity surrounding the bone of the inner ear. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 24 Feb. 2022 Otoscopy was repeated, revealing both tympanic membranes to be free of cerumen, intact and in excellent condition. Ncbi Rofl, Discover Magazine, 13 July 2011 The relatively round, fist-sized bone — called the tympanic bone, or siuti in Iñupiaq — is also an object that captains usually take from the whale to remind them of the hunt. Alena Naiden, Anchorage Daily News, 7 Aug. 2022 These typically have a tympanic effect going over uneven pavement. Dan Neil, WSJ, 17 June 2022 Borgmeyer’s eldest daughter has sensory processing issues, which can make taking oral or tympanic (in-ear) temperatures challenging. Connie Chang, Washington Post, 30 Mar. 2021 Instead, there are now five different types of thermometers: rectal, oral, axillary (armpit), temporal (forehead) and tympanic (remote ear) that can display a reading in seconds on a digital display. Jennifer Yellin, CNN Underscored, 17 Mar. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tympanic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin & New Latin tympanum

First Known Use

1808, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tympanic was in 1808

Dictionary Entries Near tympanic

Cite this Entry

“Tympanic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tympanic. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.

Medical Definition

tympanic

adjective
tym·​pan·​ic tim-ˈpan-ik How to pronounce tympanic (audio)
: of, relating to, or being a tympanum
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