Term
Tool Call
An invocation of a tool by an AI model during a conversation — such as reading a file, running a bash command, fetching from the web or calling an MCP tool. The foundation of agentic workflows.
Tool Call — explained in more detail
A tool call is the moment when an AI model does not just emit text but actively invokes a tool — reading a file, running a bash command, performing a web search or talking to an MCP server. Based on the context, the model decides which tool it needs and with which arguments.
How it works technically
Instead of plain text, the model emits a structured call with a tool name and parameters. The runtime — Claude Code, an agent framework or a custom client — executes the call and feeds the result back into the context. On that basis the model decides the next step. This is how multi-step, agentic flows emerge instead of single-shot answers.
Safety
Tool calls can be destructive: a bash command deletes files, a SQL tool mutates production data. That is why any agentic environment needs a permission layer — allowlists, a plan mode or an upstream auto-classifier.
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GlossarEnsemble / Multi-Model Orchestration
Ensemble means combining several deliberately varied LLM runs or models whose findings complement each other. Multi-model orchestration drives these runs via orchestrators with sub-agents, so the union of results is larger than any single run.
LexikonFunction Calling / Tool Use
How an LLM uses tools: define a tool as a schema, the model picks the function and arguments, the result returns to the chat — the basis of every agent.