pecking order

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun

The natural ranking of social status and dominance occurring in a group of birds.
The usually informal hierarchy of authority, command, or social status, as determined by the especially natural propensity for domination of different members of a specific group over each other, such as older brothers and sisters over their younger siblings.

pecking order pecking orders

Calque of German Hackordnung.

hierarchy

equality

exclusivity snobbery social climbing social ladder

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