Source : Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing

Nagling Coalescence
     
         An algorithm for improving {TCP/IP}
        network performance by combining small {packets} ("tinygrams")
        into larger ones, thus reducing the per-packet overhead.  The
        server transmits the packet either when it has reached a
        preset size or when it receives an acknowledgment of the
        previous packet.
     
        [Who was Nagling?]
     
        (1998-11-06)