Tympanic
/tɪmˈpæn.ɪk/noun
Relating to the tympanum, especially the eardrum.
Did you know?The same ancient Greek root behind *tympanic* also gave English *tympani* and *tympanum*, because early anatomists borrowed the word for a drum-like membrane and a drum-shaped cavity.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
τύμπανον (týmpanon)
“a drum; also a drum-like object or membrane”
Late Latin
Latin
tympanum
“a drum; a drum-shaped part or cavity”
Old French
Old French
tympane
“drum; tympanum”
Middle English
English
tympan
“a drum; the eardrum or a drum-like structure”
Late Middle English / Early Modern English
English
tympanic
“pertaining to the tympanum or eardrum”