@c This is part of the Emacs manual.
-@c Copyright (C) 1985, 86, 87, 93, 94, 95, 97, 2000, 2001, 2004
+@c Copyright (C) 1985, 1986, 1987, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2004
@c Free Software Foundation, Inc.
@c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
@node Search, Fixit, Display, Top
matches any character that is not a word-constituent.
@item \_<
-matches the empty string, but only at the beginning of a symbol. A
-symbol is a sequence of one or more word or symbol constituent
-characters. @samp{\_<} matches at the beginning of the buffer only if
-a symbol-constituent character follows.
+matches the empty string, but only at the beginning of a symbol.
+A symbol is a sequence of one or more symbol-constituent characters.
+A symbol-constituent character is a character whose syntax is either
+@samp{w} or @samp{_}. @samp{\_<} matches at the beginning of the
+buffer only if a symbol-constituent character follows.
@item \_>
matches the empty string, but only at the end of a symbol. @samp{\_>}