Dictionary

ent en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /ɛnt/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Old English ent (“giant”), from Proto-West Germanic *anti; introduced by J. R. R. Tolkien in The Lord of the Rings, 1954–55, as Ent. Compare Middle English *ent, eont (“giant”), inherited from the Old English word, but which apparently did not survive through the Middle English period into Modern times. Apparently survived in some German dialects as Enz (“giant”), also in composite forms. Compare ettin.

Meanings

1. A large, fictional, humanoid, walking tree in works by J. R. R. Tolkien.
   • In The Lords of the Rings there are dark forces in the forest—the Huorn. Huorn are ents who have become more treeish, gone rogue. They can still move and speak, but only with the ents. 2017, Inga Simpson, Understory, Hachette UK, →ISBN:
   • Hello, my good friend, myself I present. Not human, nor tree, for I am an ent. 2006, John Allran, Men of Their Word, page 37:
   • But this should not lead to complete avoidance, as if it is like some dire incursion of triffids or ents. 2003, Allen Paterson, Trees for Your Garden, page 180:
   • […]and that fine young ent Quickbeam is merely a minor crux in an Old English glossary (the name Quickbeam means 'living tree' in Old English). 2003, Walter Scheps, “The Fairy-tale Morality of The Lord of the Rings”, in Jared Lobdell, editor, A Tolkien Compass:
   • Somewhere, ents and manitous laugh grimly For, despite all this, the trees lasted much longer Than most of the presents, and all of the holiday spirit. 2003, Robert Dunn, Horse Latitudes, page 98:

Forms

Deriveds

entmoot · treant

Translations (8)

bn এণ্ট (a fictional large talking tree) · sh ент (a fictional large talking tree) · sh ent (a fictional large talking tree) · mr एन्ट (a fictional large talking tree) · ru энт (a fictional large talking tree) · fi entti (a fictional large talking tree) · de Ent (a fictional large talking tree) · cs ent (a fictional large talking tree)

wikipedia: J. R. R. Tolkien · wikipedia: The Lord of the Rings

ent en · VERB · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• /ɛnt/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Possibly from empty, through assimilation of /m/ to the following /t/.

Meanings

1. (Cornwall) To pour, especially of rain.
   • A Truro correspondent remembers being sent to buy a teapot with the admonition 'and see he got a good ent to un'; that is, of course, a good 'pour'. "Enting down with rain" is still occasionally heard. 1976, K. C. Phillips, Westcountry Words and Ways, Newton Abbot: David & Charles, page 47:
   • "And look at it enting down. I'm glad I'm not out in it." 2015 April 28, Beth Hersant, Good Neighbours, Troubador Publishing Ltd, →ISBN, page 285:
   • 'Stay a space longer,' urged Music. 'Look at'n. 'Tis enting down.' 'Put yer clothes on, then,' said Katie. You'll catch yer death.' He dragged off into the scullery and presently emerged in his Sunday best. 2019 October 22, Winston Graham, The Twisted Sword: A Novel of Cornwall, 1815, St. Martin's Griffin, →ISBN:
   • "[…] ent me out some beer, / Fill up my glass to quinch my thust, Weth bitter like thee'st gove me fust." 1880, Cornish tales, Cornish tales, in prose and verse, in the Cornish dialect [ed. by J.T. Tregellas]., page 26:

Forms