diff --git a/hbase-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/HConstants.java b/hbase-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/HConstants.java
index 7577644d322..a272fc8ab5c 100644
--- a/hbase-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/HConstants.java
+++ b/hbase-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/HConstants.java
@@ -549,8 +549,25 @@ public final class HConstants {
 
   /**
    * Timestamp to use when we want to refer to the latest cell.
-   * This is the timestamp sent by clients when no timestamp is specified on
-   * commit.
+   *
+   * On client side, this is the timestamp set by default when no timestamp is specified, to refer to the latest.
+   * On server side, this acts as a notation.
+   * (1) For a cell of Put, which has this notation,
+   *     its timestamp will be replaced with server's current time.
+   * (2) For a cell of Delete, which has this notation,
+   *     A. If the cell is of {@link KeyValue.Type#Delete}, HBase issues a Get operation firstly.
+   *        a. When the count of cell it gets is less than the count of cell to delete,
+   *           the timestamp of Delete cell will be replaced with server's current time.
+   *        b. When the count of cell it gets is equal to the count of cell to delete,
+   *           the timestamp of Delete cell will be replaced with the latest timestamp of cell it gets.
+   *       (c. It is invalid and an exception will be thrown,
+   *           if the count of cell it gets is greater than the count of cell to delete,
+   *           as the max version of Get is set to the count of cell to delete.)
+   *     B. If the cell is of other Delete types, like {@link KeyValue.Type#DeleteFamilyVersion},
+   *        {@link KeyValue.Type#DeleteColumn}, or {@link KeyValue.Type#DeleteFamily},
+   *        the timestamp of Delete cell will be replaced with server's current time.
+   *
+   * So that is why it is named as "latest" but assigned as the max value of Long.
    */
   public static final long LATEST_TIMESTAMP = Long.MAX_VALUE;