Treebeard is the creature who uses the word “ent” for the tree-shepherds in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.
Treebeard, whose Elvish name is Fangorn, is the oldest of the Ents encountered by Merry and Pippin. He explains that the word “ent” is related to an old term for a large or intelligent being, and he introduces the Hobbits to the Ents’ ancient culture.
The Ents resemble walking, speaking trees, but Tolkien presents them as a distinct people rather than ordinary trees brought to life. They gather at an Entmoot to decide whether to oppose Saruman, whose industrial activity is destroying Fangorn Forest.
The word also appears in Old English, where ent can mean a giant or powerful being. Tolkien’s knowledge of Old English helped shape both the term and the language of Rohan.