# tympanum

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈtɪm.pən.əm/ · frequency rank #81,930

## Definitions
1. A drum.
2. Any of various anatomic structures in various animals with analogy to a drum head:
3. Any of various anatomic structures in various animals with analogy to a drum head:
4. Any of various anatomic structures in various animals with analogy to a drum head:
5. Any of various anatomic structures in various animals with analogy to a drum head:
6. Any of various anatomic structures in various animals with analogy to a drum head:
7. A vertical recessed triangular space between the sides of a pediment, typically decorated.
8. A vertical recessed triangular space between the sides of a pediment, typically decorated.
9. 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.

## Etymology
Borrowed from Latin tympanum (“a drum, timbrel, tambourine; the eardrum”). Doublet of timbre, timpani, timbal, and tymbal.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/tympanum