pecking order

English

Etymology

Calque of German Hackordnung.

Noun

pecking order (plural pecking orders)

  1. (zoology) The natural ranking of social status and dominance occurring in a group of birds.
  2. (figuratively, by extension) 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.
    Synonym: hierarchy
    Antonym: equality

Translations

See also

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