A term used by Treebeard to encompass at least some of the wars fought by Elves and Men against the Dark Lord. Since the Old Ent was unconcerned by such matters, he was not specific about which wars he had in mind, but he clearly considered the unfolding events of the War of the Ring to be among them. The previous great war was the War of the Last Alliance some three millennia beforehand, but given Treebeard's immense age he may even be including the Wars of Beleriand, fought thousand of years earlier still against Morgoth the first Dark Lord.