Definition

1. Noun:
   • The thin, cone-shaped membrane that separates the external ear from the middle ear and vibrates in response to sound waves: The tympanic membrane, also known as the eardrum, is a crucial part of the auditory system that transmits sound vibrations to the ossicles of the middle ear.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The doctor examined her tympanic membrane with an otoscope.
  • A perforated tympanic membrane can lead to hearing loss and susceptibility to ear infections.
  • Sound waves cause the tympanic membrane to vibrate.

Advanced Usage

• Medical/Anatomical Context: The term is primarily used in formal, medical, or scientific discussions about hearing and ear anatomy.
  • The surgery successfully repaired the ruptured tympanic membrane.

Variants and Related Words

• Eardrum (noun): The common, non-technical synonym for the tympanic membrane.
  • He felt pain in his eardrum after the loud concert.
• Myringa (noun): A less common medical term for the tympanic membrane.
• Tympanum (noun): An archaic or poetic term for the eardrum or middle ear.

Synonyms

• Eardrum: The most frequent and accessible synonym.
• Myringa: A technical synonym used in medical literature.

Related Phrases and Terms

• Tympanic cavity: The small, air-filled chamber in the temporal bone of the skull that contains the ossicles and is medial to the tympanic membrane.
• Tympanic membrane perforation: A hole or tear in the eardrum.
• Tympanoplasty: A surgical procedure to repair a damaged tympanic membrane.

Noun

1. the membrane in the ear that vibrates to sound