PECKING ORDER Definition & Meaning

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pecking order

noun

Animal Behavior. a dominance hierarchy, seen especially in domestic poultry, that is maintained by one bird pecking another of lower status.
a sequence or hierarchy of authority in an organization or social group.

pecking order

noun

Also calledpeck order a natural hierarchy in a group of gregarious birds, such as domestic fowl
any hierarchical order, as among people in a particular group

pecking order

A hierarchy within a social group or community, in which those members at the top assume positions of leadership, authority, and power. The expression originated from a description of social behavior among chickens, which attack each other by pecking to establish dominance.

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of pecking order¹

First recorded in 1925–30

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Idioms and Phrases

The hierarchy of authority in a group, as in On a space mission, the astronauts have a definite pecking order . This expression, invented in the 1920s by biologists who discovered that domestic poultry maintain such a hierarchy with one bird pecking another of lower status, was transferred to human behavior in the 1950s.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Edwards has spoken this week of wanting to regain his belt, but his loss at the O2 Arena means has has slipped further down the pecking order in a competitive division.

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The pecking order might change from season to season.

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But for now, Scott appears to be at the top of their pecking order, with the chance to potentially strengthen his grip on a ninth-inning role this spring.

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The leadership pecking order is beginning to take shape, led by Mbappe and a much sharper Bellingham.

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So when did Grealish's fall down the pecking order really begin?

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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