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

An eardrum positioned within a curved section of the jawbone would have allowed Thrinaxodon to hear airborne sounds far more effectively than relying on bone conduction alone.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 19, 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

Later, it took surgery to remove the cluster of debris that had accumulated behind my eardrum—something that can happen after eardrum damage occurs.

From Slate ● Oct. 20, 2024

“I’m Lithuanian. Of course I like amber. Your eardrum has ruptured. This is recent. How did it happen?” she asked.

From "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys

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

For dogs that are extra sensitive to strange sounds, she suggests bringing along cotton balls that can be safely stuffed in your dog’s ears and won’t harm its eardrums.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 25, 2026

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

The noise of crickets felt as though it would pierce my eardrums, and I prayed I wouldn’t step on any snakes or scorpions.

From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo