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The Collaborative International Dictionary
Tympana

Tympanum \Tym"pa*num\, n.; pl. E. Tympanums, L. Tympana. [L., a kettledrum, a drum or wheel in machines, the triangular area in a pediment, the panel of a door, Gr. ?, ?, fr. ? to strike, beat. See Type, and cf. Timbrel.]

  1. (Anat.)

    1. The ear drum, or middle ear. Sometimes applied incorrectly to the tympanic membrane. See Ear.

    2. A chamber in the anterior part of the syrinx of birds.

  2. (Zo["o]l.) One of the naked, inflatable air sacs on the neck of the prairie chicken and other species of grouse.

  3. (Arch.)

    1. The recessed face of a pediment within the frame made by the upper and lower cornices, being usually a triangular space or table.

    2. The space within an arch, and above a lintel or a subordinate arch, spanning the opening below the arch.

  4. (Mech.) 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.

Wiktionary
tympana

n. (plural of tympanum English)

WordNet
tympanum
  1. n. the main cavity of the ear; between the eardrum and the inner ear [syn: middle ear, tympanic cavity]

  2. the membrane in the ear that vibrates to sound [syn: eardrum, tympanic membrane, myringa]

  3. a large hemispherical brass or copper percussion instrument with a drumhead that can be tuned by adjusting the tension on it [syn: kettle, kettledrum, tympani, timpani]

  4. [also: tympana (pl)]

tympana

See tympanum

Usage examples of "tympana".

With one of Scar's tympana hurt, wild gestures made him lose track of his thoughts.

They didn't cover his low-sound ears at all, but instead the forehead and shoulder tympana of his trigger member.

Thinking with all tympana immersed must be a little like using the radio cloaks: it took discipline and practice to do it, and some were never able to learn.

If we could change some of the tables, and make the receivers and transmitters to cover my tympana, why couldn't I think over the radio?

The hearts beating all around him made a low, delicious thunder against the tender tympana of his ears.