middle ear

noun

: a small membrane-lined cavity that is separated from the outer ear by the tympanic membrane and that transmits sound waves from the tympanic membrane to the partition between the middle and inner ears through a chain of tiny bones

Examples of middle ear in a Sentence

fluid in the middle ear

Recent Examples on the Web

This infection occurs when fluid is trapped behind the eardrum, and parts of the middle ear become infected. —Sherri Gordon, Health, 30 Dec. 2024

While there are six different types of ear infections, the most common is otitis media, a middle ear infection. —Sherri Gordon, Health, 30 Dec. 2024

Common infections include: Urinary tract infections Pneumonia (lung infection) Otitis media (middle ear infection) Gastroenteritis (stomach flu) Research suggests that protein deficiency weakens the immune system by impairing the body's ability to produce antibodies and cytokines. —Colleen Doherty, Verywell Health, 18 Dec. 2024

This is a condition where the tiny bones of the middle ear develop excess bony growth, which impairs the conduction of sound and leads to hearing loss. —Nina Shapiro, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1808, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for middle ear

• auctioneer
• bandelier
• belvedere
• bombardier
• brigadier
• buccaneer
• cavalier
• chandelier
• chanticleer
• chevalier
• commandeer
• disappear

Kids Definition

middle ear

noun

: a small cavity that is lined with membrane and separated from the outer ear by the eardrum and that carries sound waves from the eardrum to the inner ear through a chain of tiny bones

Medical Definition

middle ear

noun

: the intermediate portion of the ear of higher vertebrates consisting typically of a small air-filled membrane-lined chamber in the temporal bone continuous with the nasopharynx through the eustachian tube, separated from the external ear by the tympanic membrane and from the inner ear by fenestrae, and containing a chain of three ossicles that extends from the tympanic membrane to the oval window and transmits vibrations to the inner ear

called also tympanic cavity

see incus, malleus, stapes