The address "255.255.255.255" is a special type of Internet Protocol (IP) address known as a broadcast address. It is used to send messages to all devices on a local network simultaneously. When a device sends data to this address, all devices within the same network segment receive the message, making it useful for network management and communication. This address is part of the IPv4 addressing scheme, which consists of four sets of numbers ranging from 0 to 255. The broadcast address is the highest address in a subnet, and it helps facilitate efficient communication without needing to specify individual device addresses.