pecking order

pecking order

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. For groups of mammals (e.g., baboon, wolf) or other birds, the term “dominance hierarchy” is usually used, and the ranking often involves feeding or mating.

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pecking order

a natural hierarchy in a group of gregarious birds, such as domestic fowl

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pecking order [′pek·iŋ ‚ȯr·dər]

(psychology)

A social hierarchy of prestige, dominance, or authority.

(vertebrate zoology)

A hierarchy of social dominance within a flock of poultry where each bird is allowed to peck another lower in the scale and must submit to pecking by one of higher rank.