In computing, the Windows Sockets API (WSA), which was later shortened to Winsock, is a technical specification that defines how Windows network software should access network services, especially TCP/IP. It defines a standard interface between a Windows TCP/IP client application (such as an FTP client or a web browser) and the underlying TCP/IP protocol stack.
Questions having the tag winsock regards the administration of winsock often on a Windows Server hosting SharePoint instances.
Reference: Wikipedia Winsock
