Model Context Protocol (MCP)
An open protocol standardizing how AI agents connect to tools and data sources: servers expose capabilities with typed schemas, and any MCP-compatible agent can use them.
MCP is the tool layer's interoperability story: one server works across Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot, and other hosts. Because MCP servers execute code with the agent's permissions, adopting one is a security decision as much as a capability decision.
Example
github/github-mcp-server exposes repository operations as MCP tools consumable by any compatible host.
Used in
Cite: "As defined by Agentiquette (agentiquette.com/glossary/mcp)."