Bible Dictionaries
Magnificat

The American Church Dictionary and Cyclopedia

The Latin title, meaning "doth magnify," of the hymn sung after the First Lesson at Daily Evening Prayer. It is found in the Gospel of St. Luke I:46-56, and is the song of praise which the Blessed Virgin Mary gave utterance to "at the very season when the Divine overshadowing brought about the Incarnation of the Word." This beautiful hymn is used at the evening service as the daily commemoration of the Incarnation. This use of the Magnificat can be traced as far back as the Fifth Century and it has been used in the English Church at Vespers for over 800 years. For some reason the Magnificat was omitted from the first American Prayer Book set forth in 1789, but at the last revision in 1892 it was restored.

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