Main Entry: peck·ing order

Pronunciation: \ˈpek-iŋ-ˌ\

Variant(s): also peck order \ˈpek-ˌ\

Function: noun

: 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 3, dominance a