diff --git a/man3/getpt.3 b/man3/getpt.3
index cf3379db3..f797b907f 100644
--- a/man3/getpt.3
+++ b/man3/getpt.3
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 .\"
 .TH GETPT 3 2020-02-09 "GNU" "Linux Programmer's Manual"
 .SH NAME
-getpt \- open the pseudoterminal master
+getpt \- open a new pseudoterminal master
 .SH SYNOPSIS
 .nf
 .BR "#define _GNU_SOURCE" "             /* See feature_test_macros(7) */"
@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@ getpt \- open the pseudoterminal master
 .fi
 .SH DESCRIPTION
 .BR getpt ()
-opens a pseudoterminal master and returns its file descriptor.
+opens a new pseudoterminal device and returns a file descriptor
+that refers to that device.
 It is equivalent to
 .PP
 .in +4n
@@ -26,7 +27,7 @@ open("/dev/ptmx", O_RDWR);
 .in
 .PP
 on Linux systems, though the pseudoterminal master is located
-elsewhere on some systems that use GNU Libc.
+elsewhere on some systems that use the GNU C library.
 .SH RETURN VALUE
 .BR getpt ()
 returns an open file descriptor upon successful completion.