pecking order
noun
variants
or less commonly peck order
1
: the basic pattern of social organization within a flock of poultry in which each bird pecks another lower in the scale without fear of retaliation and submits to pecking by one of higher rank
broadly
: a dominance hierarchy in a group of social animals
2
: a social hierarchy
Examples of pecking order in a Sentence
As an assistant manager, he was pretty low in the company's pecking order.
the pecking order of Washington politics
Recent Examples on the Web
The pecking order of any group is clearly marked by who is carrying the satellite phone.
—
Clarissa Ward, CNN, 23 Oct. 2024
None of the prospects looked particularly sharp in preseason action, but if forced to bet, the pecking order likely goes: Green, Andre Jackson Jr., AJ Johnson, MarJon Beauchamp, Chris Livingston, and Tyler Smith.
—Brian Sampson, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024
Individuals would even try to climb the pecking order to enforce their position.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024
Both men seem to have a rock-solid position on the WWE pecking order.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pecking order 
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Clarissa Ward, CNN, 23 Oct. 2024
None of the prospects looked particularly sharp in preseason action, but if forced to bet, the pecking order likely goes: Green, Andre Jackson Jr., AJ Johnson, MarJon Beauchamp, Chris Livingston, and Tyler Smith.
—Brian Sampson, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024
Individuals would even try to climb the pecking order to enforce their position.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024
Both men seem to have a rock-solid position on the WWE pecking order.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pecking order
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Dictionary Entries Near pecking order
Cite this Entry
“Pecking order.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pecking%20order. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
pecking order
noun
peck·ing order
ˈpek-iŋ-ˌ 
variants
also peck order
: the basic pattern of social organization within a flock of poultry in which each bird pecks another lower in the scale without fear of retaliation and submits to pecking by one of higher rank compare cannibalism sense 3, dominance sense a
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