Glossary:TCP

TCP or Transmission Control Protocol is an Internet protocol which provides a reliable bidirectional data stream between two Internet-connected devices. It uses IP to transmit the data as a series of packets, keeping track of them so as to request retransmission of any that get lost and re-ordering any that arrive out of sequence. It is used where it's vital that all the data arrives exactly as sent even though that might incur delays due to retransmissions.