Definition
An MCP client is the component inside an AI app that holds the connection to one MCP server, lists its tools and sends tool calls. The app itself, such as Claude or Cursor, is called the host.
MegaMCP glossary32 terms
Explained
When you add a connector in Claude or a custom app in ChatGPT, the app creates an MCP client for that server. One host can run several clients at once, one per server.
Most people never see the client directly; it's the plumbing that makes the server's tools appear in your AI app's tool menu.
