# Nikon choir

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/nikon-choir
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A large group of photographers simultaneously capturing images of a celebrity, producing numerous photographic flashes along with an accompanying din of clicking camera shutters.

## Examples

- The celebrity walked out and faced a loud Nikon choir.
- A Nikon choir waits outside the hotel for the famous singer to appear.
- As the actress stepped onto the red carpet, a Nikon choir erupted with flashes and clicking sounds.
- The politician stopped to answer one question while the Nikon choir drowned out his voice with constant shutter clicks.
- Security guards pushed the crowd back so the athlete could walk past the Nikon choir without being hit by cameras.
- The star was momentarily blinded by the intense glare of the Nikon choir that gathered to document her every movement.

## Origin

From the brand Nikon and the noun *choir*. The brand name, established in 1946, is a blend of the Japanese *Nippon Kōgaku* (“Japan Optical”), a shortening of *Nippon Kōgaku Kōgyō Kabushikigaisha* (“Japan Optical Industries Corporation”), and *Ikon*, a camera brand then owned by Carl Zeiss AG. The term is a piecewise doublet of the phrase *Nikon chorus*.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.