eardrum

noun

ear·​drum ˈir-ˌdrəm How to pronounce eardrum (audio)

Examples of eardrum in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web During takeoff and landing, air pressure changes rapidly inside a plane cabin, and our eardrums frequently struggle to keep up. Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 25 Nov. 2023 So far, 46 U.S. service members have been identified as having signs of traumatic brain injuries, or minor wounds such as perforated eardrums, tinnitus and rolled ankles, Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Matt Seyler, ABC News, 8 Nov. 2023 Water dripped into the room from the air vents — soon reaching their ankles — and as the wind howled, Fellini worried about his toddlers’ eardrums. Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2023 The doctors treating the woman reported no damage to her eardrum. Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 25 Oct. 2023 That step should be avoided, however, if a person's eardrum has a hole in it — which may be hard for people to determine on their own. Aria Bendix, NBC News, 25 Oct. 2023 Second, over-the-ear headphones (as opposed to earbuds) block sound simply by acting as a physical barrier between your eardrums and the environment. Geoffrey Morrison, wsj.com, 2 Nov. 2023 Her eardrum hadn’t been punctured by the spider climbing around, the study notes. Cara Lynn Shultz, Peoplemag, 26 Oct. 2023 The office was bombed leaving her eardrum ruptured and her cheek scarred. Tabitha Britt, Peoplemag, 22 Sep. 2023 See More

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

Word History

First Known Use

1645, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of eardrum was in 1645

Dictionary Entries Near eardrum

Cite this Entry

“Eardrum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eardrum. Accessed 7 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

eardrum

noun
ear·​drum -ˌdrəm How to pronounce eardrum (audio)
: the thin membrane that separates the outer and middle ear and carries sound waves as vibrations to the chain of tiny bones in the middle ear

called also tympanic membrane, tympanum

Medical Definition

eardrum

noun
ear·​drum -ˌdrəm How to pronounce eardrum (audio)

More from Merriam-Webster on eardrum

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