Definition of tympanum
- n. - The ear drum, or middle ear. Sometimes applied
incorrectly to the tympanic membrane. See Ear.
- n. - A chamber in the anterior part of the syrinx of birds.
- n. - One of the naked, inflatable air sacs on the neck of the
prairie chicken and other species of grouse.
- n. - The recessed face of a pediment within the frame made by
the upper and lower cornices, being usually a triangular space or
table.
- n. - The space within an arch, and above a lintel or a
subordinate arch, spanning the opening below the arch.
- n. - A drum-shaped wheel with spirally curved partitions by
which water is raised to the axis when the wheel revolves with the
lower part of the circumference submerged, -- used for raising water,
as for irrigation.