middle ear: Meaning and Definition of

mid'dle ear'

Pronunciation: [key]
  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. Cf. (def. 1). See diag. under
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.