What is "inclusion compound"

n. (context chemistry English) A complex in which one molecule (the guest) is located within a cavity of another (the host)

In host-guest chemistry, an inclusion compound is a complex in which one chemical compound (the "host") forms a cavity in which molecules of a second "guest" compound are located. The definition of inclusion compounds is very broad, extending to channels formed between molecules in a crystal lattice in which guest molecules can fit. If the spaces in the host lattice are enclosed on all sides so that the guest species is ‘trapped’ as in a cage, the compound is known as a clathrate. In molecular encapsulation, a guest molecule is actually trapped inside another molecule.