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Browse the Medical Dictionary:: A; B; C; D; E; F; G; H; I; J; K; L; M; N; O; P; Q; R; S; T; U; V; W; X; Y; Z; #

pecking order

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, dominance

Learn more about "pecking order" and related topics at Britannica.com

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