Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of noun tympanum

3 senses of tympanum

Sense 1
middle ear, tympanic cavity, tympanum -- (the main cavity of the ear; between the eardrum and the inner ear)
       => cavity, bodily cavity, cavum -- ((anatomy) a natural hollow or sinus within the body)

Sense 2
eardrum, tympanum, tympanic membrane, myringa -- (the membrane in the ear that vibrates to sound)
       => membrane, tissue layer -- (a pliable sheet of tissue that covers or lines or connects the organs or cells of animals or plants)

Sense 3
kettle, kettledrum, tympanum, tympani, timpani -- (a large hemispherical brass or copper percussion instrument with a drumhead that can be tuned by adjusting the tension on it)
       => percussion instrument, percussive instrument -- (a musical instrument in which the sound is produced by one object striking another)