eardrum

[ eer-druhm ]
See synonyms for eardrum on Thesaurus.com
nounAnatomy, Zoology.
  1. a membrane in the ear canal between the external ear and the middle ear; tympanic membrane.

Origin of eardrum

1
First recorded in 1635–45; ear1 + drum1

Words Nearby eardrum

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use eardrum in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for eardrum

eardrum

/ (ˈɪəˌdrʌm) /


noun
  1. the nontechnical name for tympanic membrane

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for eardrum

eardrum

[ îrdrŭm′ ]


  1. The thin, oval-shaped membrane that separates the middle ear from the outer ear. It vibrates in response to sound waves, which are then transmitted to the ossicles of the middle ear. Also called tympanic membrane

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for eardrum

eardrum

The membrane that divides the outer ear from the middle ear. The vibrations of this membrane in response to sound waves lead to the sensation of hearing. Also called the tympanic membrane.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.