The Ents are the fictional tree-like people in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth.
Ents are ancient shepherds of trees, and their name is related to an Old English word meaning giant. They live in Fangorn Forest and are led by Treebeard, one of the oldest beings in Middle-earth. Their speech and decisions are deliberately slow, reflecting their age and patience.
In The Lord of the Rings, Merry and Pippin persuade Treebeard that Saruman’s destruction of forests threatens the Ents. The Ents then hold an Entmoot and march on Isengard, where they destroy much of Saruman’s stronghold. Ents are distinct from Huorns, mysterious tree-like beings associated with forests, although Tolkien leaves some details of their relationship deliberately uncertain.