tympanum

noun

tym·​pa·​num ˈtim-pə-nəm 

plural tympana ˈtim-pə-nə  also tympanums

1

a(1)

: tympanic membrane

(2)

: middle ear

b

: a thin tense membrane covering an organ of hearing of an insect see insect illustration

c

: a membranous resonator in a sound-producing organ

2

a

: the recessed usually triangular face of a pediment within the frame made by the upper and lower cornices

b

: the space within an arch and above a lintel or a subordinate arch

Illustration of tympanum

• 1 tympanum 2a

Examples of tympanum in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The sixth block in the Parthenon’s tympanum—or recessed space—was restored by combining a pair of archaic fragments with new pieces of marble, while the seventh block has been completed using only fresh marble. — News Desk, Artforum, 22 June 2026

The blasts had sent rubble and shrapnel hurtling through the theater’s portico and its tympanum, whose statuary muses, farmers, and metalsmiths were still upright but were backlit by sunbeams now that no masonry was behind them. — James Verini, The Atlantic, 12 May 2026

The insect ear possesses a thin sheet of tissue, known as the tympanum, that is much like the human eardrum. — IEEE Spectrum, 22 May 2023

This was topped by a tympanum containing a pedimental scene of metallurgists, farmers and muses. — James Verini, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin & Latin; Medieval Latin, eardrum, from Latin, drum, architectural panel, from Greek tympanon drum, kettledrum; perhaps akin to Greek typtein to beat

First Known Use

1619, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Kids Definition

tympanum

noun

tym·​pa·​num ˈtim-pə-nəm 

plural tympana -nə  also tympanums

1

: eardrum

2

: a thin membrane of an insect covering an organ of hearing and transmitting vibrations produced by sound waves to it

Medical Definition

tympanum

noun

tym·​pa·​num ˈtim-pə-nəm 

plural tympana -nə  also tympanums

1

: tympanic membrane

2

: middle ear