Bible Dictionaries
Apocrypha

The American Church Dictionary and Cyclopedia

This is the name given to certain books generally bound with the Old and New Testament Scriptures which the Sixth Article of Religion describes as "The other books (as Hierome saith) the Church doth read for example of life and instruction of manners; but yet doth it not apply them to establish any doctrine." They are called Apocryphal for the reason that while they are usually bound up with the Bible, yet they are not regarded as canonical. Apocrypha is a Greek word meaning hidden, secret or unknown. Several of the Lessons are taken from the Apocryphal Books, and the Benedicite, which is sung as an alternate to the Te Deum, is taken from one of them, namely, "The Song of the Three Children."

Bibliography Information
Miller, William James. Entry for 'Apocrypha'. The American Church Dictionary and Cyclopedia. https://www.studylight.org/​dictionaries/​eng/​acd/​a/apocrypha.html. 1901.