wp_parse_args is a generic utility for merging together an array of arguments and an array of default values. It can also be given a URL query type string which will be converted into an array (i.e. "id=5&status=draft").
It is used throughout WordPress to avoid having to worry about the logic of defaults and input, and produces a stable pattern for passing arguments around. Functions like query_posts, wp_list_comments and get_terms are common examples of the simplifying power of wp_parse_args.
Functions that have an $args based setting are able to infinitely expand the number of values that can potentially be passed into them, avoiding the annoyance of super-long function calls because there are too many arguments to keep track of, many of whose only function is to override usually-good defaults on rare occasions.
