What is "teichoic acid"

n. (context biochemistry English) Any of several polymers of glycerol or ribitol, linked via phosphodiester bonds, that are found in the cell walls of many bacterium

Teichoic acids (cf. Greek τεῖχος, teīkhos, "wall", to be specific a fortification wall, as opposed to τοῖχος, toīkhos, a regular wall) are bacterial copolymers of glycerol phosphate or ribitol phosphate and carbohydrates linked via phosphodiester bonds.