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
The player might only move up past a few other players in the elite pecking order, but the degree of difficulty is off the charts.
—
John Hollinger, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Whether Hyland has entrenched himself in a 10-man rotation, has surpassed Conley in the pecking order or has merely been a fill-in while Conley works through early-season struggles remains to be seen.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 25 Oct. 2025
The groups often operate with their own chain of command and pecking order, each with different goals and levels of influence.
—Greg Wehner , Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2025
The new chassis and engine regulations will have a significant impact on the pecking order, given the potential to reset the grid next year.
—Saajan Jogia, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pecking order
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John Hollinger, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Whether Hyland has entrenched himself in a 10-man rotation, has surpassed Conley in the pecking order or has merely been a fill-in while Conley works through early-season struggles remains to be seen.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 25 Oct. 2025
The groups often operate with their own chain of command and pecking order, each with different goals and levels of influence.
—Greg Wehner , Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2025
The new chassis and engine regulations will have a significant impact on the pecking order, given the potential to reset the grid next year.
—Saajan Jogia, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pecking order
Cite this Entry
“Pecking order.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pecking%20order. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical 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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