= Cocrystal
A <cocrystal> is a single crystalline phase containing two or more distinct molecular components in a shared ordered structure. Its components occupy defined roles in the repeating arrangement, rather than simply forming separate crystals mixed together. A stylized $1:1$ arrangement of molecules A and B illustrates the idea without assuming that every cocrystal has that ratio.
<Intermolecular forces> and molecular geometry influence which combined structure is favorable. A <diffraction> measurement tests the shared ordering, while a <phase diagram> distinguishes a stable combined phase from coexistence of separate A-rich and B-rich phases. This is useful because a shared lattice can change properties such as <melting> behavior and <mass density> even though the identities of the molecular components remain recognizable. The word describes a structural phase assignment and does not by itself predict which component combinations will form one.
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