Illustration of tympanum
- 1 tympanum 2a
tympanum
noun
tym·pa·num ˈtim-pə-nəm 
plural tympana ˈtim-pə-nə also tympanums
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
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Over the door is a stone tympanum adorned with the image of an open book, hinting at the building’s former life. 
Mike Scott, NOLA.com, 12 Aug. 2020
Mike Scott, NOLA.com, 12 Aug. 2020 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)
Medical Definition
tympanum
noun
tym·pa·num ˈtim-pə-nəm
plural tympana -nə also tympanums
also tympanums 1
: tympanic membrane
2
: middle ear