tympan

 
Pronunciation: /ˈtɪmpən/

noun

  • 1(in letterpress printing) a layer of packing, typically of paper, placed between the platen and the paper to be printed to equalize the pressure over the whole forme.

Origin:

late 16th century (in tympan (sense 1)): from French tympan or Latin tympanum (see tympanum). tympan (sense 2) dates from the early 18th century