diff --git a/galleries/plot_types/basic/stairs.py b/galleries/plot_types/basic/stairs.py
index df0e91d1041b..732ded998241 100644
--- a/galleries/plot_types/basic/stairs.py
+++ b/galleries/plot_types/basic/stairs.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 ==============
 stairs(values)
 ==============
-A stepwise constant function as a line with bounding edges or a filled plot.
+Draw a stepwise constant function as a line or a filled plot.
 
 See `~matplotlib.axes.Axes.stairs` when plotting :math:`y` between
 :math:`(x_i, x_{i+1})`. For plotting :math:`y` at :math:`x`, see
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py
index 627dd2c36d40..8fb8e878712b 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py
@@ -7104,8 +7104,11 @@ def hist(self, x, bins=None, range=None, density=False, weights=None,
     def stairs(self, values, edges=None, *,
                orientation='vertical', baseline=0, fill=False, **kwargs):
         """
-        A stepwise constant function as a line with bounding edges
-        or a filled plot.
+        Draw a stepwise constant function as a line or a filled plot.
+
+        *edges* define the x-axis positions of the steps. *values* the function values
+        between these steps. Depending on *fill*, the function is drawn either as a
+        continuous line with vertical segments at the edges, or as a filled area.
 
         Parameters
         ----------
@@ -7113,7 +7116,7 @@ def stairs(self, values, edges=None, *,
             The step heights.
 
         edges : array-like
-            The edge positions, with ``len(edges) == len(vals) + 1``,
+            The step positions, with ``len(edges) == len(vals) + 1``,
             between which the curve takes on vals values.
 
         orientation : {'vertical', 'horizontal'}, default: 'vertical'