middle ear

American  

noun

Anatomy.

1. the middle portion of the ear, consisting of the tympanic membrane and an air-filled chamber lined with mucous membrane, that contains the malleus, incus, and stapes.

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middle ear British  

noun

1. the sound-conducting part of the ear, containing the malleus, incus, and stapes

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middle ear Scientific  

/ mĭd′l /

1. The part of the ear in most mammals that contains the eardrum (tympanic membrane) and the three ossicles (malleus, incus, and stapes) which transmit sound vibrations from the eardrum to the inner ear.

2. See more at ear

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middle ear Cultural  

1. A part of the ear on the inner side of the eardrum; it contains three small bones that transmit sound waves to the inner ear from the eardrum.

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Etymology

Origin of middle ear

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

When some marine fish eventually adapted to life in fresh water, many also acquired a more elaborate way to hear, including middle ear bones that resemble those in humans.

From Science Daily • Nov. 3, 2025

Unlike eye surgery, which is common, operations aren’t often performed on the pliable bones and hair cell receptors of the middle ear, the source of natural hearing.

From Salon • Sep. 30, 2024

Like the middle ear, the gut has air-filled cavities that widen to adjust to the sudden shift in pressure.

From Scientific American • Sep. 28, 2023

He has a Cholesteatoma, a cyst in his middle ear.

From BBC • Sep. 25, 2023

Incidentally, another piece of tubing in the body, the Eustachian tube linking the middle ear to the pharynx, was also described around this time, by Bartolomeo Eustachio.

From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin