pecking order
pecking order
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. For groups of mammals (e.g., baboon, wolf) or other birds, the term “dominance hierarchy” is usually used, and the ranking often involves feeding or mating.
This entry comes from Encyclopædia Britannica Concise.
For the full entry on pecking order, visit Britannica.com.
Learn More About PECKING ORDER
Seen & Heard 
What made you look up pecking order? Please tell us what you were reading, watching or discussing that led you here.
