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Definition of "parse" []

  • To break (a sentence) down into its component parts of speech with an explanation of the form, function, and syntactical relationship of each part. (verb-transitive)
  • To describe (a word) by stating its part of speech, form, and syntactical relationships in a sentence. (verb-transitive)
  • To examine closely or subject to detailed analysis, especially by breaking up into components: "What are we missing by parsing the behavior of chimpanzees into the conventional categories recognized largely from our own behavior?” ( Stephen Jay Gould). (verb-transitive)
  • To make sense of; comprehend: I simply couldn't parse what you just said. (verb-transitive)
  • Computer Science To analyze or separate (input, for example) into more easily processed components. (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "parse" in a sentence
  • "Additionally, you could optionally specify a number after the word parse - this would only disable specific settings."
  • "The draws took the heat down to the decking and into containers called parse tubes, which housed diapson crystals."
  • "I create an instance of the lib and call parse on the RSS."