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pecking order

   Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Medical, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.07 sec.

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.


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


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You can't tell which team made the playoffs last season by the pecking order.
As Taylor acquaints us with the pecking order in his school, his parents' conversations and escalating arguments, his struggle with his stammer, his hero worship of his older cousin, the prejudice and ignorance of his adult acquaintances, his first crush and first serious ethical dilemma, every word rings true.
Rubber plantations have a variety of agricultural options they can substitute, and petroleum derived synthetic rubbers can be pushed further down in the pecking order when supplies get tight.
 
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