Merriam-Webster definition of parse

[Natalie Maynor]

Andrea wrote:
>I use parse to specifically indicate that I am breaking the information down
>into smaller pieces.
...
>Does anyone else use parse in this sense?

Yes.  That's what I've always thought "parse" meant, whether in relation
to a sentence or to anything else that can be broken into smaller pieces.
   --Natalie Maynor (maynor at ra.msstate.edu)