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

Calzada not only failed to win the job, but was third in the pecking order and did not see the field for the second time in three seasons. —Tom Layberger, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025

Signing a talented 24-year-old winger with Champions League experience might have ordinarily been beyond Fulham’s budget, but Arsenal’s deadline-day deal to bring in long-time England international Raheem Sterling on loan from Chelsea pushed Nelson further down the pecking order at his position. —The Athletic Uk Staff, The Athletic, 13 Feb. 2025

A lot of Eagles fans will get their wings at the Jug Handle Inn, which consistently scores near the top of the pecking order among Philadelphia wing shops. —Scott Horsley, NPR, 7 Feb. 2025

Ferguson has dropped behind Danny Welbeck, Joao Pedro and Georginio Rutter in the pecking order for the centre of Hurzeler’s attack. —James McNicholas, The Athletic, 4 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1927, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for pecking order

• boarder
• border
• corder
• warder
• camcorder
• disorder
• recorder
• reorder
• suborder
• transborder

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