- the sound-conducting part of the ear, containing the malleus, incus, and stapes
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
ˈmid•dle ˈear, n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Anatomythe middle portion of the ear made up of the eardrum and an air-filled chamber.
mid′dle ear′, [Anat.]
- Anatomythe 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. Cf. ear 1 (def. 1). See diag. under ear1.
- 1885–90
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
middle ear n
'middle ear' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
ear
- Eustachian tube
- glue ear
- grommet
- incus
- malleus
- otitis
- stapes
- tympanum
- tympanic membrane
- aerotitis media
- eardrum
- glossopharyngeal nerve
- mastoid process
- otitis media
- round window
- tympanic bone
- tympanitis
- tympanoplasty
- Valsalva maneuver
- sclerectomy