The TCP window is a mechanism used in the TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) protocol to manage the flow of data between two network hosts. It represents the number of bytes that can be sent by the sender without receiving an acknowledgement from the receiver. The TCP window size is dynamic and can be adjusted during a session based on network conditions to optimize the transfer of data. The size of the TCP window can affect the overall performance of a network connection by determining the rate at which data is transmitted.