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.

• "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."