A "for loop" is a programming construct that allows you to repeat a block of code a specific number of times. It is commonly used to iterate over a sequence, such as a list or an array, enabling you to perform actions on each item. The loop typically consists of three parts: initialization, condition, and increment, which control how many times the loop runs. For example, in the programming language Python, a simple for loop can look like this: `for i in range(5):`. This code will execute the block inside the loop five times, with the variable i taking values from 0 to 4. For loops are essential for automating repetitive tasks in coding.