Tolkien creature (3)

I think it could be either:

orc

ent

'tolkien creature' is the definition.
(orcs are creatures in The Lord of the Rings)

This is the entire clue.

(Other definitions for orc that I've seen before include "Tolkienian creature" , "Ugly creature" , "Fierce goblin" , "fierce monster" , "Sea monster; or Tolkien character" .)

I've seen this clue in The Washington Post, the Penny Press, the USA Today, the King Feature Syndicate, The New York Times, the LA Times and The Times.

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