parse

parse  (pärs)

v. parsed, pars·ing, pars·es

v.tr.

1. To break (a sentence) down into its component parts of speech with an explanation of the form, function, and syntactical relationship of each part.

2. To describe (a word) by stating its part of speech, form, and syntactical relationships in a sentence.

3.

a. 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.

b. To make sense of; comprehend: I simply couldn't parse what you just said.

4. Computer Science To analyze or separate (input, for example) into more easily processed components.

v.intr.

To admit of being parsed: sentences that do not parse easily.

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[Probably from Middle English pars, part of speech, from Latin pars (rtinis), part (of speech); see per-² in Indo-European roots.]

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parser n.

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parse [parz]

Verb

[parsing, parsed] to analyse (a sentence or the words in a sentence) grammatically [Latin pars (orationis) part (of speech)]

Thesaurus

Verb

1.

parse - analyze syntactically by assigning a constituent structure to (a sentence) grammar - the branch of linguistics that deals with syntax and morphology (and sometimes also deals with semantics) analyze, break down, dissect, take apart, analyse - make a mathematical, chemical, or grammatical analysis of; break down into components or essential features; "analyze a specimen"; "analyze a sentence"; "analyze a chemical compound"