Illustration of tympanum
- 1 tympanum 2a
tym·pa·num
ˈtim-pə-nəm 
plural tympana
ˈtim-pə-nə
also tympanums
also tympanums
1
a(1)
(2)
b
: a thin tense membrane covering an organ of hearing of an insect see insect illustration
c
: a membranous resonator in a sound-producing organ
2
a
: the recessed usually triangular face of a pediment within the frame made by the upper and lower cornices
b
: the space within an arch and above a lintel or a subordinate arch
tym·pa·non
ˈtimpəˌnän
plural tympana
-pənə
also tympanons
also tympanons
Examples of tympanum in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
News Desk,
Artforum,
22 June 2026
The blasts had sent rubble and shrapnel hurtling through the theater’s portico and its tympanum, whose statuary muses, farmers, and metalsmiths were still upright but were backlit by sunbeams now that no masonry was behind them.
—
James Verini,
The Atlantic,
12 May 2026
The insect ear possesses a thin sheet of tissue, known as the tympanum, that is much like the human eardrum.
—
IEEE Spectrum,
22 May 2023
This was topped by a tympanum containing a pedimental scene of metallurgists, farmers and muses.
—
James Verini,
New York Times,
1 Sep. 2022
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Noun
The sixth block in the Parthenon’s tympanum—or recessed space—was restored by combining a pair of archaic fragments with new pieces of marble, while the seventh block has been completed using only fresh marble.
—
News Desk,
Artforum,
22 June 2026
The blasts had sent rubble and shrapnel hurtling through the theater’s portico and its tympanum, whose statuary muses, farmers, and metalsmiths were still upright but were backlit by sunbeams now that no masonry was behind them.
—
James Verini,
The Atlantic,
12 May 2026
The insect ear possesses a thin sheet of tissue, known as the tympanum, that is much like the human eardrum.
—
IEEE Spectrum,
22 May 2023
This was topped by a tympanum containing a pedimental scene of metallurgists, farmers and muses.
—
James Verini,
New York Times,
1 Sep. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Tympanum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tympanum. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tympanum
noun
tym·pa·num
ˈtim-pə-nəm
plural tympana
-nə
also tympanums
also tympanums
1
: eardrum
2
: a thin membrane of an insect covering an organ of hearing and transmitting vibrations produced by sound waves to it
Medical Definition
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