parser

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

parser
    n 1: a computer program that divides code up into functional
         components; "compilers must parse source code in order to
         translate it into object code"

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

parser \pars"er\, n.
   One who parses.
   [1913 Webster]

from The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)

parser
parsing

   <language> An {algorithm} or program to determine the
   syntactic structure of a sentence or string of symbols in some
   language.  A parser normally takes as input a sequence of
   {tokens} output by a {lexical analyser}.  It may produce some
   kind of {abstract syntax tree} as output.  One of the best
   known {parser generators} is {yacc}.

   (1997-07-21)