Main Entry: Ben·e·dic·tus

Pronunciation: \ˌbe-nə-ˈdik-təs\

Function: noun

Etymology: Late Latin, blessed, from past participle of benedicere; from its first word

Date: 1552

1 : a canticle from Luke 1:68 beginning “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel”
2 : a canticle from Matthew 21:9 beginning “Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord”