eardrum

American  

[eer-druhm] / ˈɪərˌdrʌm /

noun

Anatomy, Zoology.

eardrums plural

1. a membrane in the ear canal between the external ear and the middle ear; tympanic membrane.

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eardrum British  

/ ˈɪəˌdrʌm /

noun

1. the nontechnical name for tympanic membrane

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eardrum Scientific  

/ îr′drŭm′ /

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.

2. Also called tympanic membrane

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eardrum Cultural  

1. 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.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• eardrums
  plural

Etymology

Origin of eardrum

First recorded in 1635–45; ear ¹ + drum ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

eardrum eardrums

Sound travels normally through the ear canal, eardrum, and into the fluid-filled inner ear.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 23, 2026

Moon incurred tinnitus following an injury to his eardrum in recent years, which impacted his ability to work.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 12, 2026

"We were able to go straight to the otoscopy and look in the ear and see a little bit of scarring in the eardrum, which indicated that the hole had closed, had healed," she said.

From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2024

That's because each ear infection can potentially impair hearing with fluid building up behind the eardrum.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 3, 2024

A blare of whistling feedback grated on every eardrum in the building.

From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer

This crew - smallish in number but sufficiently large to assault the eardrums of the management and players - are an odd bunch.

From BBC ● Mar. 31, 2026

I’d assumed my gait would take on a rhythmic thumping—that auditory mark of cane—but with an aluminum version, this was more of an anemic click, possibly easier on floors and eardrums, but certainly less imposing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 18, 2025

When those vibrations reach our ears, they send a vibration through our eardrums, which is recognized in the brain as sound.

From Salon ● Jun. 3, 2025

Unlike human eardrums and conventional microphones that detect sound pressure waves, spider silk responds to changes in the velocities of air particles as they are thrust about by a sound field.

From Science Daily ● May 16, 2024

Suddenly “Smooth Criminal” assaults our eardrums, which, in this place, in this moment, sounds like the best song in the world.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman