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

Those above and below him on the pecking order have to wear this failure of a season, as well. —Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 16 Sep. 2024

Womack, a fifth-round pick out of Toledo, earned a roster spot that season but has not managed to climb further up the 49ers’ pecking order since. —David Lombardi, The Athletic, 22 Aug. 2024

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

Word History

First Known Use

1927, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

pecking order

noun

variants also peck order

1

: a basic pattern of social organization within a flock of poultry in which each bird pecks another lower in the scale without being pecked in return and allows pecking by one of higher rank

2

: a social order with ranks or classes

Medical Definition

pecking order

noun

peck·​ing order ˈpek-iŋ-ˌ 

variants also peck order

ˈpek-ˌ 

: 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