tympany

noun

tym·​pa·​ny ˈtim-pə-nē 

plural tympanies

1

: tympanites

2

: bombast, turgidity

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin tympanias, from Greek, from tympanon

First Known Use

1528, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Medical Definition

tympany

noun

tym·​pa·​ny -nē 

plural tympanies

1

: tympanites

2

: a resonant sound heard in percussion (as of the abdomen)