Ents are the tree-herding race in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.
The Ents are ancient beings who resemble and care for trees. Their most prominent leader is Treebeard, also called Fangorn, whom Merry and Pippin meet in Fangorn Forest. The Ents hold a long-standing grievance against Saruman because his armies cut down trees for fuel, weapons, and industry.
Merry and Pippin help bring the Ents together at the Entmoot, a council that considers whether they should act against Saruman. The Ents eventually march on Isengard and destroy much of Saruman’s stronghold. Their role shows how Tolkien connects the natural world with memory, patience, and resistance to destructive industrial power.
Ents are sometimes confused with Huorns, mysterious tree-like beings also associated with forests. Tolkien’s writings leave the exact relationship between Ents and Huorns partly open, but they are not simply two names for one clearly identical group. The word ent itself comes from an Old English word meaning giant.