Margin call
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A margin call is the demand, in a margin account, for additional funds, additional money or securities, to be deposited into the account. The margin call arises because of an adverse price movement in one or more of the securities held in the account. The margin call requires the account owner to bring the account value up to the minimum acceptable amount called the maintenance margin. Because the securities held in a margin account are acquired partially with borrowed money, the broker has the right to demand that the account owner maintain this minimum balance in an account. Margin calls occur on long positions when the value of held securities falls, and on short positions when the value of held securities rises.
In futures, a margin call is a demand by a broker for additional funds, additional money or securities, because of an adverse price movement in one or more of an investor's held securities to bring a margin account up to the minimum maintenance margin.
A broker will make a "margin call" if the value of one or more of the securities held by the account owner falls below a certain point. The margin call requires the accountholder to either deposit more money, or sell off (or buy back, in the case of a short position) some assets in order to reduce liability to match the unused good faith deposit (the margin). Some professional traders consider a margin call a clear sign of error and treat it as a stop loss order. Such trader never answers the margin call (doesn't deposit additional funds) and liquidates the position to limit the loss rather than "wasting good money chasing after a bad investment".
External links
Margin call (http://www.tradingeducators.com/resources/glossary_i.htm#M/)