parse [from linguistic terminology] vt.

1. To determine the syntactic structure of a sentence or other utterance (close to the standard English meaning). "That was the one I saw you." "I can't parse that." 2. More generally, to understand or comprehend. "It's very simple; you just kretch the glims and then aos the zotz." "I can't parse that." 3. Of fish, to have to remove the bones yourself. "I object to parsing fish", means "I don't want to get a whole fish, but a sliced one is okay". A `parsed fish' has been deboned. There is some controversy over whether `unparsed' should mean `bony', or also mean `deboned'.

--The Jargon File version 4.3.1, ed. ESR, autonoded by rescdsk.

Parse (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Parsed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Parsing.] [L. pars a part; pars orationis a part of speech. See Part, n.] Gram.

To resolve into its elements, as a sentence, pointing out the several parts of speech, and their relation to each other by government or agreement; to analyze and describe grammatically.

Let him construe the letter into English, and parse it over perfectly. Ascham.

© Webster 1913.