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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
And, if polling in recent months is to be believed, the nation may once again have Trump atop the pecking order by January.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 30 May 2024
Starters were displaced and backups were seemingly pushed down in the pecking order.
—Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 21 May 2024
The race also confirmed the pecking order of this young F1 season, with Mercedes and Aston Martin rounding out the clear top five of Formula 1 teams and the bottom five consisting of RB, Haas, Alpine, Williams, and Kick Sauber, all but identical to last year.
—Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 7 May 2024
Regardless of the pecking order of roster problems, wide receiver is still a notable area of need.
—Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 9 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pecking order
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pecking order.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1927, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Articles Related to pecking order
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 18 Jun. 2024.
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
: 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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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for pecking order
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