tympanum

/ˈtɪm.pən.əm/noun
High School
1

A drum.

2

The eardrum (tympanic membrane, membrana tympanica).

3

The main portion of the middle ear: the tympanic cavity (cavitas tympani).

4

A thin tense membrane covering the hearing organ on the leg or body of some insects, sometimes adapted (as in cicadas) for producing sound.

5

A membranous resonator in a sound-producing organ in frogs and toads.

6

(in certain birds) The labyrinth at the bottom of the windpipe.

7

A vertical recessed triangular space between the sides of a pediment, typically decorated.

8

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

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.

Sound Patterns & Rhymes

Alliteration

Words starting with the same consonant sound — used in poetry and prose to create rhythm, emphasis, and memorable phrasing (e.g. “Peter Piper picked”)

Assonance

Words sharing similar vowel sounds regardless of starting letter — creates internal melody in writing

Consonance

Words sharing similar consonant sound patterns — adds texture and cohesion to writing

#archaic

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