diff --git a/conf/canonical b/conf/canonical
index 720db18..26937ce 100644
--- a/conf/canonical
+++ b/conf/canonical
@@ -82,9 +82,14 @@
 # 
 # TABLE SEARCH ORDER
 #        With lookups from indexed files such as DB or DBM, or from
-#        networked  tables  such  as NIS, LDAP or SQL, patterns are
-#        tried in the order as listed below:
-# 
+#        networked   tables   such   as  NIS,  LDAP  or  SQL,  each
+#        user@domain query produces a sequence of query patterns as
+#        described below.
+#
+#        Each  query pattern is sent to each specified lookup table
+#        before trying the next query pattern,  until  a  match  is
+#        found.
+#
 #        user@domain address
 #               Replace user@domain by address. This form  has  the
 #               highest precedence.
diff --git a/conf/generic b/conf/generic
index d5ab42a..f66c2f4 100644
--- a/conf/generic
+++ b/conf/generic
@@ -72,9 +72,14 @@
 # 
 # TABLE SEARCH ORDER
 #        With lookups from indexed files such as DB or DBM, or from
-#        networked  tables  such  as NIS, LDAP or SQL, patterns are
-#        tried in the order as listed below:
-# 
+#        networked   tables   such   as  NIS,  LDAP  or  SQL,  each
+#        user@domain query produces a sequence of query patterns as
+#        described below.
+#
+#        Each  query pattern is sent to each specified lookup table
+#        before trying the next query pattern,  until  a  match  is
+#        found.
+#
 #        user@domain address
 #               Replace user@domain by address. This form  has  the
 #               highest precedence.
diff --git a/conf/virtual b/conf/virtual
index 3be6ab9..1843622 100644
--- a/conf/virtual
+++ b/conf/virtual
@@ -81,9 +81,14 @@
 # 
 # TABLE SEARCH ORDER
 #        With lookups from indexed files such as DB or DBM, or from
-#        networked tables such as NIS, LDAP or  SQL,  patterns  are
-#        tried in the order as listed below:
-# 
+#        networked  tables  such  as  NIS,  LDAP   or   SQL,   each
+#        user@domain query produces a sequence of query patterns as
+#        described below.
+#
+#        Each query pattern is sent to each specified lookup  table
+#        before  trying  the  next  query pattern, until a match is
+#        found.
+#
 #        user@domain address, address, ...
 #               Redirect  mail  for  user@domain  to address.  This
 #               form has the highest precedence.
diff --git a/html/canonical.5.html b/html/canonical.5.html
index c97f910..1ef4aac 100644
--- a/html/canonical.5.html
+++ b/html/canonical.5.html
@@ -87,9 +87,12 @@ CANONICAL(5)                                                      CANONICAL(5)
               cal line.
 
 <b>TABLE SEARCH ORDER</b>
-       With lookups from indexed files such as DB or DBM, or from
-       networked  tables  such  as NIS, LDAP or SQL, patterns are
-       tried in the order as listed below:
+       With lookups from indexed files such as DB or DBM, or from networked
+       tables  such  as  NIS,  LDAP  or SQL, each <i>user</i>@<i>domain</i> query produces a
+       sequence of query patterns as described below.
+
+       Each query pattern is sent to each specified lookup table before trying
+       the next query pattern, until a match is found.
 
        <i>user</i>@<i>domain address</i>
               Replace <i>user</i>@<i>domain</i> by <i>address</i>. This form  has  the
diff --git a/html/generic.5.html b/html/generic.5.html
index debee93..3294832 100644
--- a/html/generic.5.html
+++ b/html/generic.5.html
@@ -77,9 +77,12 @@ GENERIC(5)                                                          GENERIC(5)
               cal line.
 
 <b>TABLE SEARCH ORDER</b>
-       With lookups from indexed files such as DB or DBM, or from
-       networked  tables  such  as NIS, LDAP or SQL, patterns are
-       tried in the order as listed below:
+       With lookups from indexed files such as DB or DBM, or from networked
+       tables such as NIS, LDAP or SQL,  each  <i>user</i>@<i>domain</i>  query  produces  a
+       sequence of query patterns as described below.
+
+       Each query pattern is sent to each specified lookup table before trying
+       the next query pattern, until a match is found.
 
        <i>user</i>@<i>domain address</i>
               Replace <i>user</i>@<i>domain</i> by <i>address</i>. This form  has  the
diff --git a/html/virtual.5.html b/html/virtual.5.html
index c92826c..7fa6329 100644
--- a/html/virtual.5.html
+++ b/html/virtual.5.html
@@ -86,9 +86,12 @@ VIRTUAL(5)                                                          VIRTUAL(5)
               cal line.
 
 <b>TABLE SEARCH ORDER</b>
-       With lookups from indexed files such as DB or DBM, or from
-       networked tables such as NIS, LDAP or  SQL,  patterns  are
-       tried in the order as listed below:
+       With lookups from indexed files such as DB or DBM, or from networked
+       tables  such  as  NIS,  LDAP  or SQL, each <i>user</i>@<i>domain</i> query produces a
+       sequence of query patterns as described below.
+
+       Each query pattern is sent to each specified lookup table before trying
+       the next query pattern, until a match is found.
 
        <i>user</i>@<i>domain address, address, ...</i>
               Redirect  mail  for  <i>user</i>@<i>domain</i>  to <i>address</i>.  This
diff --git a/man/man5/canonical.5 b/man/man5/canonical.5
index 1bf8d53..267495f 100644
--- a/man/man5/canonical.5
+++ b/man/man5/canonical.5
@@ -88,8 +88,12 @@ starts with whitespace continues a logical line.
 .ad
 .fi
 With lookups from indexed files such as DB or DBM, or from networked
-tables such as NIS, LDAP or SQL, patterns are tried in the order as
-listed below:
+tables such as NIS, LDAP or SQL, each \fIuser\fR@\fIdomain\fR
+query produces a sequence of query patterns as described below.
+
+Each query pattern is sent to each specified lookup table
+before trying the next query pattern, until a match is
+found.
 .IP "\fIuser\fR@\fIdomain address\fR"
 Replace \fIuser\fR@\fIdomain\fR by \fIaddress\fR. This form
 has the highest precedence.
diff --git a/man/man5/generic.5 b/man/man5/generic.5
index 13b9dd0..1153f58 100644
--- a/man/man5/generic.5
+++ b/man/man5/generic.5
@@ -80,8 +80,12 @@ starts with whitespace continues a logical line.
 .ad
 .fi
 With lookups from indexed files such as DB or DBM, or from networked
-tables such as NIS, LDAP or SQL, patterns are tried in the order as
-listed below:
+tables such as NIS, LDAP or SQL, each \fIuser\fR@\fIdomain\fR
+query produces a sequence of query patterns as described below.
+
+Each query pattern is sent to each specified lookup table
+before trying the next query pattern, until a match is
+found.
 .IP "\fIuser\fR@\fIdomain address\fR"
 Replace \fIuser\fR@\fIdomain\fR by \fIaddress\fR. This form
 has the highest precedence.
diff --git a/man/man5/virtual.5 b/man/man5/virtual.5
index da139f8..241bf10 100644
--- a/man/man5/virtual.5
+++ b/man/man5/virtual.5
@@ -86,8 +86,12 @@ starts with whitespace continues a logical line.
 .ad
 .fi
 With lookups from indexed files such as DB or DBM, or from networked
-tables such as NIS, LDAP or SQL, patterns are tried in the order as
-listed below:
+tables such as NIS, LDAP or SQL, each \fIuser\fR@\fIdomain\fR
+query produces a sequence of query patterns as described below.
+
+Each query pattern is sent to each specified lookup table
+before trying the next query pattern, until a match is
+found.
 .IP "\fIuser\fR@\fIdomain address, address, ...\fR"
 Redirect mail for \fIuser\fR@\fIdomain\fR to \fIaddress\fR.
 This form has the highest precedence.
diff --git a/proto/canonical b/proto/canonical
index cdda918..6255ba2 100644
--- a/proto/canonical
+++ b/proto/canonical
@@ -76,8 +76,12 @@
 # .ad
 # .fi
 #	With lookups from indexed files such as DB or DBM, or from networked
-#	tables such as NIS, LDAP or SQL, patterns are tried in the order as
-#	listed below:
+#	tables such as NIS, LDAP or SQL, each \fIuser\fR@\fIdomain\fR
+#	query produces a sequence of query patterns as described below.
+#
+#	Each query pattern is sent to each specified lookup table
+#	before trying the next query pattern, until a match is
+#	found.
 # .IP "\fIuser\fR@\fIdomain address\fR"
 #	Replace \fIuser\fR@\fIdomain\fR by \fIaddress\fR. This form
 #	has the highest precedence.
diff --git a/proto/generic b/proto/generic
index b2e730a..25db840 100644
--- a/proto/generic
+++ b/proto/generic
@@ -68,8 +68,12 @@
 # .ad
 # .fi
 #	With lookups from indexed files such as DB or DBM, or from networked
-#	tables such as NIS, LDAP or SQL, patterns are tried in the order as
-#	listed below:
+#	tables such as NIS, LDAP or SQL, each \fIuser\fR@\fIdomain\fR
+#	query produces a sequence of query patterns as described below.
+#
+#	Each query pattern is sent to each specified lookup table
+#	before trying the next query pattern, until a match is
+#	found.
 # .IP "\fIuser\fR@\fIdomain address\fR"
 #	Replace \fIuser\fR@\fIdomain\fR by \fIaddress\fR. This form
 #	has the highest precedence.
diff --git a/proto/virtual b/proto/virtual
index 8a2d28f..1fc30aa 100644
--- a/proto/virtual
+++ b/proto/virtual
@@ -74,8 +74,12 @@
 # .ad
 # .fi
 #	With lookups from indexed files such as DB or DBM, or from networked
-#	tables such as NIS, LDAP or SQL, patterns are tried in the order as
-#	listed below:
+#	tables such as NIS, LDAP or SQL, each \fIuser\fR@\fIdomain\fR
+#	query produces a sequence of query patterns as described below.
+#
+#	Each query pattern is sent to each specified lookup table
+#	before trying the next query pattern, until a match is
+#	found.
 # .IP "\fIuser\fR@\fIdomain address, address, ...\fR"
 #	Redirect mail for \fIuser\fR@\fIdomain\fR to \fIaddress\fR.
 #	This form has the highest precedence.