Combinator parsing is a technique for building parsers by combining smaller parsers using higher-order functions. In this context, a parser is a function that takes a string as input and returns some structure as output, typically a parse tree or a set of indices representing locations in the string where parsing stopped successfully.

A parser combinator is a higher-order function that accepts several parsers as input and returns a new parser as its output. Parser combinators enable a recursive descent parsing strategy that facilitates modular piecewise construction and testing.

This approach to parsing is powerful because it derives much of its expressiveness from the type system and semantics of the host programming language. It allows for the construction of domain-specific embedded languages that can leverage the facilities of the host language.

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