diff --git a/doc/tutorial.rst b/doc/tutorial.rst
index 5a58c4f..267f05c 100644
--- a/doc/tutorial.rst
+++ b/doc/tutorial.rst
@@ -87,3 +87,21 @@ same path on several objects.
     >>> obj2 = {'foo': {'0': 1, '1': 10, '2': 100}}
     >>> pointer.resolve(obj2)
     10
+
+Checking pointer prefixes
+-------------------------
+
+``child.contains(parent)`` checks whether the parent's parts are a prefix of
+the child's parts. The equivalent membership expression is ``parent in child``.
+The comparison is between whole path parts, so ``/foo/b`` is not a prefix of
+``/foo/bar``. Equal pointers and the root pointer are prefixes too:
+
+    >>> from jsonpointer import JsonPointer
+    >>> parent = JsonPointer('/foo')
+    >>> child = JsonPointer('/foo/bar')
+    >>> child.contains(parent)
+    True
+    >>> parent in child
+    True
+    >>> child in parent
+    False
diff --git a/jsonpointer.py b/jsonpointer.py
index 8a31f19..e888616 100644
--- a/jsonpointer.py
+++ b/jsonpointer.py
@@ -349,11 +349,34 @@ def walk(self, doc, part):
                 raise JsonPointerException("member '%s' not found" % (part,))
 
     def contains(self, ptr):
-        """ Returns True if self contains the given ptr """
+        """Returns True if ptr's parts are a prefix of this pointer's parts.
+
+        Equal pointers and the root pointer are also prefixes. For example,
+        the longer pointer calls contains() with its parent:
+
+        >>> child = JsonPointer('/foo/bar')
+        >>> parent = JsonPointer('/foo')
+        >>> child.contains(parent)
+        True
+        >>> parent.contains(child)
+        False
+        >>> child.contains(child)
+        True
+        >>> child.contains(JsonPointer(''))
+        True
+        >>> child.contains(JsonPointer('/foo/b'))
+        False
+        """
         return self.parts[:len(ptr.parts)] == ptr.parts
 
     def __contains__(self, item):
-        """ Returns True if self contains the given ptr """
+        """Equivalent to contains(): item must be a prefix of self.
+
+        >>> JsonPointer('/foo') in JsonPointer('/foo/bar')
+        True
+        >>> JsonPointer('/foo/bar') in JsonPointer('/foo')
+        False
+        """
         return self.contains(item)
 
     def join(self, suffix):