diff --git a/Documentation/glossary-content.txt b/Documentation/glossary-content.txt
index 47e901ece..3466ce912 100644
--- a/Documentation/glossary-content.txt
+++ b/Documentation/glossary-content.txt
@@ -499,9 +499,18 @@ should not be combined with other pathspec.
 	<<def_tree,tree>> is equivalent to a <<def_directory,directory>>.
 
 [[def_tree-ish]]tree-ish (also treeish)::
-	A <<def_ref,ref>> pointing to either a <<def_commit_object,commit
-	object>>, a <<def_tree_object,tree object>>, or a <<def_tag_object,tag
-	object>> pointing to a tag or commit or tree object.
+	A <<def_tree_object,tree object>> or an <<def_object,object>>
+	that can be recursively dereferenced to a tree object.
+	Dereferencing a <<def_commit_object,commit object>> yields the
+	tree object corresponding to the <<def_revision,revision>>'s
+	top <<def_directory,directory>>.
+	The following are all tree-ishes:
+	a <<def_commit-ish,commit-ish>>,
+	a tree object,
+	a <<def_tag_object,tag object>> that points to a tree object,
+	a tag object that points to a tag object that points to a tree
+	object,
+	etc.
 
 [[def_unmerged_index]]unmerged index::
 	An <<def_index,index>> which contains unmerged