---

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---
r: 206847
b: refs/heads/beta
c: b2f486f
h: refs/heads/master
i:
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v: v3

Author: Nick Hamann

[refs]

@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ refs/tags/0.12.0: f0c419429ef30723ceaf6b42f9b5a2aeb5d2e2d1
 refs/heads/automation-fail: 1bf06495443584539b958873e04cc2f864ab10e4
 refs/heads/batch: b7fd822592a4fb577552d93010c4a4e14f314346
 refs/heads/building: 126db549b038c84269a1e4fe46f051b2c15d6970
-refs/heads/beta: 857a12a01ed8a9249cea8f48b39a0f8bdfd95cbd
+refs/heads/beta: b2f486feafa99124479d1b5e74c9acc6ed7cc233
 refs/heads/windistfix: 7608dbad651f02e837ed05eef3d74a6662a6e928
 refs/tags/1.0.0-alpha: e42bd6d93a1d3433c486200587f8f9e12590a4d7
 refs/heads/tmp: 579e31929feff51dcaf8d444648eff8de735f91a

branches/beta/src/doc/reference.md

@@ -3510,13 +3510,21 @@ more of the closure traits:
 
 ### Trait objects
 
-Every trait item (see [traits](#traits)) defines a type with the same name as
-the trait. This type is called the _trait object_ of the trait. Trait objects
-permit "late binding" of methods, dispatched using _virtual method tables_
-("vtables"). Whereas most calls to trait methods are "early bound" (statically
-resolved) to specific implementations at compile time, a call to a method on an
-trait objects is only resolved to a vtable entry at compile time. The actual
-implementation for each vtable entry can vary on an object-by-object basis.
+In Rust, a type like `&SomeTrait` or `Box<SomeTrait>` is called a _trait object_.
+Each instance of a trait object includes:
+
+ - a pointer to an instance of a type `T` that implements `SomeTrait`
+ - a _virtual method table_, often just called a _vtable_, which contains, for
+   each method of `SomeTrait` that `T` implements, a pointer to `T`'s
+   implementation (i.e. a function pointer).
+
+The purpose of trait objects is to permit "late binding" of methods. A call to
+a method on a trait object is only resolved to a vtable entry at compile time.
+The actual implementation for each vtable entry can vary on an object-by-object
+basis.
+
+Note that for a trait object to be instantiated, the trait must be
+_object-safe_. Object safety rules are defined in [RFC 255][rfc255].
 
 Given a pointer-typed expression `E` of type `&T` or `Box<T>`, where `T`
 implements trait `R`, casting `E` to the corresponding pointer type `&R` or